Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third spaces” to describe the public places that are neither home nor work where people congregate. These spots are crucial to community building. Be they coffee shops or barber shops, they’re places where we get to know our neighbors. We hear the local gossip and learn about ways we can be more engaged, informed, and involved. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when more people started working remotely, the value of these third spaces has increased.
Libraries are one of the clearest examples of third spaces and of how preservation helps create welcoming communities. Many libraries are in historic and preserved spaces, and it’s the programming of libraries that brings people, who might not have otherwise walked through the doors, to those buildings. And unlike coffee or barber shops, libraries are free and open to all.
Today, many of these institutions are facing challenges, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) drastically reduced staffing at the Institute of Museum and Library Science (IMLS) while also terminating grants and limiting future funding to institutions across the United States. IMLS funds are used for technology, acquisition of books and other resources, and programming that supports how libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions create welcoming community spaces all across the country. While recent judicial decisions have halted these actions it is important to learn more about how you can act and get the latest updates for those impacted by the cuts at IMLS.
To get a sense of these remarkable third spaces, here are 13 libraries worth browsing the stacks.
