[URBAN NOTE] "Public Works: Maximizing the Potential of Your Local Library"

[rfmcdonald]

Peter Goffin's Torontoist feature today includes an interesting American program that seeks to make libraries community hubs.

“Public spaces are integral to any community. When they work well, they serve as a stage for our public lives. They are the settings where celebrations are held, where both social and economic exchanges take place, where friends run into each other, and where cultures mix.” So reads the Outside the Box placemaking guide, a handbook for activists hoping to participate in a growing community-building initiative in the United States.

The Outside the Box program promotes the use of public libraries as central neighbourhood gathering spaces in communities with strong local leadership, high ethnic diversity, and low median income. Led by DVD-rental giant Redbox; librarians cooperative Online Computer Library Center, Inc.; and non-profit planning, design, and education organization Project for Public Spaces, the program is expanding into 20 American communities this year after last year’s successful five-location pilot project.

The people behind Outside the Box see libraries as trusted public institutions, brimming with the potential to be inviting and accessible gathering places.

Library staff and community actors participating in Outside the Box receive training about creating inviting public space on and around library grounds. They also get $5,000 worth of reusable materials for seating, lighting, and other amenities in this public space. And the program helps out with a launch event for the new spot—something along the lines of a free concert or fair, or outdoor movie night.

More at Torontoist.