Libraries & Public History

How are libraries defined?

What exactly constitutes a library? Are public, academic or institutional libraries the only valid form of libraries? What has been the main purpose of  libraries? Has/should that main purpose change for users in the 21st century? How do libraries engage the public? What does the public need and want from libraries? What does it mean to hold community space? What is the importance of accessible information? How can we define accessible in ways that make libraries welcoming spaces for all kinds of communication and knowledge production and sharing? 

In the last five years, fugitive libraries have been created by individuals and groups looking to rethink the idea of the library.  These fugitive libraries are spaces for sharing a variety of sources in neighborhoods, through online archives, and as open source access. These initiatives help imagine libraries as more than brick and mortar buildings that are often difficult to access.  If, as many believe, public libraries are one of the only truly democratic spaces left in the U.S., why do fugitive libraries also seem so necessary? What paths to freedom and liberation are available via fugitive libraries that do not seem possible in public libraries?

 

In the 2019 State of America's Libraries report, the American Library Association (ALA) stated that:

Librarians have long championed their community members’ right to access information privately, and serve as an essential refuge where everyone can check out materials or browse the internet without their information being shared.

In many areas, the library is the only place that is truly accessible and inclusive for all. 

 

How do libraries engage in public history?

Nicole Elizabeth, in a 2018 article titled, "Focus on Local: Librarianship and Public History" states that public history projects have a clear place in libraries. She writes:

As a place for information and a space for community gathering, they are uniquely positioned to be both the site for research and venue for these projects. These projects can range in scale and resources required, but can be important contributions to the libraries we work at and the communities we serve.

 

The PHC is excited to be partnering with Pima County Library and the UArizona Main Campus Library in our projects. 

 

 

 

  • What constitutes a library?
  • How can libraries facilitate communal forms of learning and knowledge production?
  • How can libraries engage in public history?
  • Are libraries more accessible than more traditional forms of public history? What does accessibility look like in these spaces?
  • What can fugitive libraries offer that institutional libraries cannot?