Libraries are an Expanding Universe of Opportunity

It may come as no surprise, but talking about libraries is one of my favorite things to do!

The urge is particularly strong at times like this—looking forward to a busy year ahead, and with a number of exciting challenges on the horizon. New beginnings often present a compelling opportunity to reflect, but beyond exploring what libraries mean for me personally, I believe that it is also very important to occasionally reiterate their value—exploring what makes libraries such a vividly important part of a local community’s ecosystem—and hopefully providing others with information and tools they can use to understand and engage with libraries in their own way.

Briefly stated, I believe that libraries are an expanding universe of opportunity.

I have been blessed to experience this phenomenon firsthand, and I have also observed how libraries play a positive role in the lives of others. To me, libraries represent opportunity along at least three different lines—for communities, for individuals, and for other businesses and organizations that are able to partner with libraries and collaborate to enhance their impact. This is what libraries today are all about—making the most of professional know-how, resources, connections, and public investment to support meaningful opportunities for the individuals they serve. And—perhaps most thrilling of all—libraries and forward-thinking librarians are continually reaching towards new possibilities, bringing an ever-expanding universe of opportunity to their communities and their patrons.

Let’s explore a few of these things briefly!

First, libraries provide opportunity for communities. Several studies have examined the role and impact that libraries and other arts or culture-focused organizations have in facilitating community growth and energy. These include breathing life into mixed-use developments, supporting and retaining local populations, strengthening local workforce readiness and participation, and sharpening the competitive edge for communities to attract outside tourism and economic development. A stunning recent example is the Fayetteville Public Library in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which reinvigorated the surrounding downtown area, grew into a dynamic community center that is celebrated by area residents, and became a selling point for local companies attracting new employees. If you find yourself in the area I highly recommend paying a visit to this inspirational library!

Libraries also open the doors to all kinds of opportunities for the individuals they serve. Local populations are able to search for and apply for jobs, participate in a wide variety of cultural programs or skills-based workshops, enjoy meaningful activities designed for families and young children, and explore current affairs or other intellectual pursuits through clubs, guest speaker events, and more. Library patrons are able to build social connections and maintain engaging lifestyles through the public library, and the library is also able to connect valuable community resources and services to those who need them. All of this is due to the incredible dedication and resourcefulness of library staff, who serve their communities tirelessly and return a meaningful value worth many times more than the initial dollars of public investment. It is hard work, but it is exciting work too. I am honored to be part of a team that cares deeply about our community, making our library the best that it can be, and that is looking forward to the future.

Finally, I believe libraries present a compelling opportunity for local businesses and other organizations interested in expanding their reach and impact. One of my favorite real-life examples took place at our library this past summer, when our local agricultural extension office approached our team in search of opportunities to collaborate and provide public programs. We were thrilled to work together and offered a workshop series on basic homesteading skills, which was immensely popular and enabled both our organizations to accomplish important missions. Not only do public libraries provide opportunity—they also maximize impact.

To sum up in a sentence or so—libraries are engines of economic impact and agents of development in the neighborhoods they serve, ready and able to facilitate discovery, growth, and—you said it—opportunity. As a librarian, it is my job to help others harness the power of the library so that they can benefit from these opportunities themselves, and I am glad to share that power with anyone who will listen. If you find yourself resonating with anything I’ve just said, consider this an invitation to reach out and drop me a line.

We might be kindred spirits.