Thread by @WeAreNew_Public

If you want to borrow a book, go to the library. But if you’ve been recently (even digitally), you know libraries are so much more than that.

They're a catch-all public resource, filling gaps in services and serving as a vital community and social infrastructure. 1/

In its history, the library has gone from exclusive to democratic. The first libraries in the U.S. were created so that rich, white, male colonists could exchange books.

Boy, have they changed. 2/

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Now, libraries are truly democratic spaces, designed to serve every segment of society in the same physical space. 3/

Libraries continue to reinvent themselves again and again — leaning into new technology and educating residents with the least access on how to use it, from Wi-Fi to Fortnite. 4/

slate.com/human-interest…

And the way patrons use the library is evolving as well. While many do go to the library to borrow print books, others go there to watch videos, get assistance or attend classes. 5/

pewresearch.org/internet/2016/…

There are SO MANY offerings:
👩‍💻 career training
🏫 adult literacy, computer skills, personal finance, ESL, health
📚 book clubs and writers’ groups
💵 income tax help
🎓 college application resources
🌍 passport application
📼 digitizing tapes and documents 6/

And, though hundreds of years old, the library is more relevant than ever.

In 2017, the Pew Research Center even found that Millennials — often considered the first digital natives — were more likely to use the library than any other generation. 7/ pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017…

On top of everything else, besides all the official services, libraries fill in the gaps of the societal safety net. The building is a safe, indoor space, with free internet and the means to entertain children (more sorely missed now than ever, we know) 8/
wendymacnaughton.com/#portfolio#jou…

In recent months, as the pandemic has kept library doors shuttered throughout the U.S., libraries have adapted, as they always have.

But there are monumental uncertainties about what libraries can and should be going forward. 9/

npr.org/2020/06/16/877…

Some people associate the “future of libraries” as an entirely digital transformation.

But that’s not the way we want to think about it.

We want libraries to retain what @EricKlinenberg calls their “social infrastructure” – all while innovating. 10/

nytimes.com/2018/09/08/opi…

That's why we’re hosting our Library Design Sprint with more than a dozen designers, librarians and researchers.

We're interested in the past, present and future of libraries. 11/

We'll share some of the conversations with you soon, and hope you’ll share with us what you like most about your library.

#librarylife, #librarians, #library, #libraries, #futurereadylibs 12/12