The Meeting Room: Libraries as Community Centers for Culturally Diverse Populations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role libraries play as a space within a community. This paper examines library usage by ethnic minorities in the United States and Denmark, and looks at how a library’s space can function as a meeting room for cross cultural exchange. The method used in this study is a literature review. Sources consulted ranges from library science journals to newspaper articles. The time span of the materials consulted is from 1969-present. This paper urges librarians to be advocates on behalf of their minority patrons and ensure open access to the public library. By rethinking how to conceptualize the community of patrons a library serves, this paper suggests that libraries can better function as an arena in which all members of the community can meet and exchange ideas. Central to the concept of the public library in North America and Western Europe, is the belief that the library offers a space for education, socialization and debate, which is open to all members of the public. The library space is unique because it has traditionally been free from commercial, economic and government interests and has provided access to materials

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