Libraries are places with chameleon-like versatility. We use them as community centers, for book access, to link to a research database, for educational classes and lectures, or as a quiet sanctuary with their spatial dimensions extending beyond the physical into the remote.
Sunday’s hourlong panel discussion, The Last Public Space: Libraries as the Cultural Crossroads of America, took place in the Litowitz Atrium of Writers Theatre and featured representatives from the American Library Association, Chicago Public Library and Glencoe Public Library.
Coordinated by Community Engagement Manager at Writers Theatre Kristin Hammargren and Head of Programs and Communications at the Glencoe Public Library Grace Hayek, the event was inspired by Kareem Fahmy’s play, “A Distinct Society,” which takes place in a library that straddles the U.S./Canadian border, and which is featured as the theatre’s current production.
“At Writers Theatre, we want our plays to catalyze conversation and encourage in-depth exploration of the themes and world of the story,” Hammargren said.
During the play, Hammargren says, tensions build as the public space becomes a container for the characters’ differing needs and expectations.
“Events like The Last Public Space panel bring that conversation directly to our community and take advantage of the experts and thought leaders from Chicago and the Northshore,” Hammargren said.
The panel featured Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library Chris Brown, Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Executive Director of the Glencoe Public Library Andrew Kim.
According to the Writers Theatre event description, author Susan Orlean describes public libraries in The Library Book as, “A place that doesn’t belong to me but feels like it’s mine.” The question of who libraries belong to has increasingly come up in conversations about free speech, access to knowledge and public health.
During this panel discussion, experts came together to unpack some of the complexities of the library as a cultural bellwether of today’s America.
Terri Owens attended Sunday’s panel and says that she is without a permanent address.
“I am here to hear what the panel has to say about whether area libraries will continue to provide services and public space to those who are homeless,” Owens said.
Jill Schiller says she is part of a book group at the Glencoe Public Library and has lived in Glencoe for 30-years.
“This is a socially relevant topic that I don’t know much about, but after recently reading ‘Our Missing Hearts’ by Celeste Ng, I became interested in the premise of a dystopian society which relies on libraries and librarians for support or protection,” Schiller said.
Panelist Deborah Caldwell-Stone says libraries are meant to be inclusive and democratic spaces that serve their local communities.
“A public space (is) for (the) public good — to read, to discover, to enrich, a resource that helps people find what they need to lead their best lives,” Caldwell-Stone said. “While libraries may not be the last public spaces, they certainly must be places that protect our intellectual freedom.”
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
