Towards a More Perfect Union: Libraries Engaging Communities in Civic Dialogue

On Demand

ALA Unit/Subunit: ALA

Moderator(s)

Nancy C. Kranich

Lecturer
Rutgers University School of Communication and Information
Highland Park, New Jersey

Speaker(s)

Lissa Staley

Community Connections Librarian
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Topeka, Kansas
TK

Tamara King
KT

Kimberly Tate-Malone
Amanda Smithfield

Librarian
Nashville, Tennessee

The 2020 elections saw the highest voter turnout in more than a hundred years and libraries supported voters along the way. Yet the contentious election was rooted in a year of loss, isolation, unrest, and uncertainty.

As we consider how to reknit the fabric of our communities and chart a path forward, library workers confront the challenge to ensure that path reflects the democratic principle of “by and for the people.” Infusing a new sense of urgency into what is often longstanding work, librarians representing different library types and different geographic locations will join with leaders in civic engagement to share how they set a table that welcomes leaders and community voices together to learn, discuss, and shape the future of their communities and our country.