Libraries on the Line - The Fight to Preserve UKs Third Places and Community Spaces

When I walked through the doors of Maidenhead library to begin my first day as a ‘Library Assistant’ back in 2015, I wasn’t exactly buzzing with excitement. You’d be hard pressed to find many 21 year old graduates clambering to kickstart their librarian careers, but I was thankful for the work and had developed a fond relationship (of the love-hate variety) with libraries during my time at university. What I didn’t see coming, however, was witnessing what exactly a modest library can mean to so many in the community – a safe place where everyone, regardless of their background, can learn, rest and feel a sense of belonging. Although my three-year career as a librarian was short-lived, it forever shifted my perception of these incredible multifaceted community centres and opened my eyes to what life could be like without them for so many. Sadly, the reality of libraries being lost to history is very real. But how have we got here and what can we do to fight for these pillars of community? Let’s take a look. Challenging Stereotypes: Swiss Army Knife of Community Centres There are two main perceptions of librarians: the mean old rule-keepers and the shy introverts who escape life through the written word. Now, while both caricatures do exist, the vast majority of librarians and wider library staff do their job because they truly believe in the sanctity of libraries. Once places where talking was frowned upon and you were to fear the stern librarian eyeing your every move, many libraries are now places of laughter, conversation and community, all led by friendly staff. Across the libraries I worked at, we held weekly children’s ‘Rhyme Time and Storytime’ sessions for tired parents looking to entertain their little ones, IT skills-based classes for adults out of work, ‘knit and natter’ sessions for knitters and natters, book clubs, educational talks – the list just goes on and on. It was also in the mundane, day-to-day life of a librarian that you could witness the si...