Conversation-Based Librarianship: A New Potential for Community Knowledge

Abstract

The library plays a vital role as community center, a space where people of all backgrounds can come together and, more critically, a space for conversation. Conversation builds community and, as I argue in this article, fosters learning and supports our deepest-held value of intellectual freedom. These functions are particularly urgent at a time when community conversation has become increasingly rare. Libraries are in a unique position to provide a safe and trusted place for meaningful community-wide conversations. This article explores the nature of productive conversation, how this kind of conversation builds knowledge, and touches upon the different forms a library-supported conversation can take.

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