2020 2020: Wood Publishes an Article on Public Libraries as a Community Symbol and Unrestricted Space

UMass Law Librarian Emma Wood published an article on public libraries as a community symbol and unrestricted space.

UMass Law Librarian Emma Wood published an article in Public Library Quarterly titled Libraries Full Circle: The Cross Section of Community, the Public Sphere and Third Place on public libraries as a community symbol and unrestricted space. The article connects the dots between the characteristics of contemporary libraries and the parallel life cycle of the public sphere, opposing the argument that the public library is declining. Wood frames the history of libraries and the importance of a physical place where a community of patrons can find compassionate listening and discussion to satisfy socialization needs. As a “third place” distinct from work, school, and home, libraries create a fundamental pillar for patrons longing for dialogue in today’s socially deprived world. As Wood explains, “The modern public library focus on personal interaction is a continuation rather than derivation from primary purpose, and public libraries are a rare cross section of the public sphere and third space.”