Learn to Live with Others at the Library
Libraries from Chandigarh to San Francisco show why they are the ideal learning grounds for convivencia, the capability for co-existence.
By Tommi Laitio & Sebastián Cortesi
Public spaces across the globe face challenges arising from increasing inequality, complexity, polarization, and diversity. Holding space for intellectual freedom or sharing space across differences raises questions among public space leadership and staff:
- Is the future of libraries limited to dealing with problems?
- What does it mean to be a place for everyone in a divided city?
- What is the responsibility that public libraries should and can carry for societal challenges?
At the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, we are conducting a comparative case study research on public space partnerships in Amsterdam (NL), Fortaleza (BRA), Los Angeles (USA, Mecklenburg County (USA), and Philadelphia (USA) to develop new strategies for public institutions. We want to do research that resonates with public sector practice. That is why Tommi Laitio as the principal investigator has engaged in numerous engagements with library staff and leadership in North America and Europe and hosted a monthly global convening of 18 library leaders on partnerships to reflect on our preliminary research findings. In October 2023, we hosted a workshop in the Metropolitan Libraries conference in Buenos Aires, where ten libraries from Europe, North America, and Asia shared good partnership practices on fostering co-existence in library spaces.
Based on these engagements, we suggest the Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese speaking) concept of convivencia as a strategic framework for public libraries in a world of divisions. Convivencia is a cooperative state between harmony and open conflict, which emphasizes practice, effort, negotiation, and accommodation. To strive for convivencia is approaching public life as a dance, an active and constant negotiation where a diverse set of actors learns over time to share public goods and spaces but where mistakes and friction are an inevitable part of public life. Convivencia does not have a good equivalent in English. It is different than its English “cousin” conviviality, which is often used to convey bourgeoisie happiness, festivity, and fun. (Wise and Noble 2016). We distinguish convivencia conceptually from urban marketing approaches that seek harmony at the cost of diversity. It is also different than what we would call naive approaches that overlook the possibility of friction arising in public spaces. Convivencia is an active balancing act.
We do not wish to romanticize friction. We are not claiming that adopting convivencia as a guiding principle would make living across differences easy and smooth. Too much friction leads to undemocratic dominance or open conflict. But striving for harmony is as risky. Harmony is usually achieved at the cost of exclusion. We see convivencia as a tactical strategy to build our confidence and resilience to engage in public life. Convivencia is a set of capabilities that both institutions and individuals can learn and resource. In other words, these are skills meant to help us be “at ease” with the unpredictability and messiness of it all. (Rishbeth & Rogaly 2017)
Public libraries and parks as beloved spaces which people use on a voluntary basis have an incredible potential to be the ultimate learning grounds for convivencia. Social scientific research shows that more robust civic communities enhance the performance of democratic institutions (Putnam et al. 1994). By building the capabilities of staff and visitors to feel at ease with friction, convivencia-led policies enhance the city’s overall quality of life. Libraries provide opportunities for encounters within difference without forcing people to take part in shared activities. They are ‘spaces apart’, in which the possibility to be indifferent to different behaviors and people can open us to otherness (Barker et al. 2019).
Inspired by multiculturality/conviviality research conducted in Britain (Back & Sinha 2016), we suggest a set of five convivencia principles for public libraries as a pragmatic way to operationalize the concept into a institutional policies. We advocate for institutions to develop programs and policies that use convivencia as a lens for stakeholder engagement, programming, spatial design, community engagement, and staff development.
Convivencia is a forgiving yet ambitious framework for thinking about successful public spaces. While libraries as public institutions have a moral and legal responsibility to advance equity and democracy, public libraries alone cannot be expected to solve the societal divisions affecting them. Convivencia is a way for libraries to position themselves as critical civic infrastructures for democracy, to communicate their commitment to innovation, and open themselves to partnerships — while not departing from their core mission and legacy as places of learning.
To conclude, there’s good news. First, in our multiple engagements, we have learned that libraries are exceptionally skillful in turning abstract frameworks into inspiring programming, spaces, and services. Second, as you can see below, libraries across the world are already developing innovative solutions from intellectual freedom and equity statements in Toronto to cross-generational library spaces in Chandigarh, from social mediation teams to reach out to remote neighborhoods in Fortaleza to better strategies to engage with large numbers of young people in Buffalo’s central library, from using artistic interventions to prompt conversations in San Francisco to testing new library concepts in pop-up labs in Southeast Amsterdam, from equity-focused community kitchens in Edmonton to new collections policies in Paris. Third, as we have learned through our monthly exchanges, libraries are extraordinarily generous organizations not in competition with each other and therefore willing to share their discoveries and struggles openly with others. And finally, none of the libraries claim that they have it “figured out”. But that’s just the point. Convivencia is a commitment to active practice.
Tommi Laitio is an inaugural Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and a former Executive Director of Culture and Leisure for the City of Helsinki, Finland.
Sebastián Cortesi is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Johns Hopkins University.
Examples from Libraries
Belgrade City Library
Belgrade, Serbia
Example: Diverse Cultures Hub
To provide opportunities to connect to other cultures, Belgrade City Library is utilizing partnerships with embassies, nonprofits, foreign libraries, and cultural institutions to become a hub for an inclusive, intercultural society. It is intentionally looking for ways to enrich and diversify its programming, collections, services, and exhibitions.
Biblioteca Estadual do Ceará
Fortaleza, Brazil
Example: Social Mediation Team
Next to operating the recently renovated public library Bece in the cultural center of Fortaleza, the library supports approximately 70–100 community-run libraries in neighborhoods with book donations and training. Recently, the library initiated a social mediation team, which builds trust and relationships with the library activists in neighborhoods. The multi-disciplinary team consists of community experts with a background in social activism and the community library movement. Events organized together with community libraries bring storytellers and artists to the neighborhoods and invite groups from the neighborhoods to its downtown location.
Bibliothèques de la Ville de Paris
Paris, France
Project: Events and Collections Policy
The library network of the City of Paris is developing policies for cultural events and collections following interruptions of programming and challenges to collections across France. The library is developing guidelines that guarantee pluralism and equal access according to the Robert law.
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Buffalo, USA
Example: Central Library
The Central Library has seen an influx of young visitors, resulting in increased noise and conflicts. The library has collaborated with youth engagement and conflict resolution organizations and engaged with school administrators and law enforcement to comprehensively address the situation. Additional spaces and programming for children and teens have been introduced and the library conducts surveys to understand their preferences.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Charlotte, USA
Example: New Main Library Project
The new main library´s design incorporates practical solutions and thoughtful elements to create a welcoming, non-segregated space. The new library project combines practicality, intentional design, and a public commons strategy to cater to diverse user types, emphasizing inclusivity and a sense of belonging for all visitors. The library encourages social mixing, for instance by functioning as the lobby for the connected theater.
Hangzhou Public Library
Hangzhou, China
Example: Barrier-free Reading Space
Hangzhou Library recognized the information gap faced by visually impaired individuals and took steps to promote inclusivity. They established an accessible reading space with over 1000 books for the blind and advanced technology catering to different levels of vision impairment. Emphasizing “convivencia,” librarians aim to accommodate diverse groups in a rapidly changing society and bridge the digital divide, promoting information literacy. These initiatives empower disabled individuals to integrate into society and gain support from the wider community.
Helsingin kaupunginkirjasto
Helsinki, Finland
Project: Celebrating cultural diversity and strengthening the sense of belonging — Case Itäkeskus library
Located in a multicultural area, the library addresses the needs of multilingual user groups through collaborations with NGOs, cultural events, and workshops. They aim to create spaces that encourage interaction and learning between Finnish-speaking individuals and language minorities, fostering diversity and a sense of community. To handle potential tensions, librarians and management are trained in conflict resolution, active listening, and community engagement skills.
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles, USA
Example: Library Experience Office
The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) faced rising inappropriate and violent behavior, impacting staff and guest safety and comfort. To address this, LAPL established the Library Experience Office, emphasizing staff training in trauma-informed interactions and de-escalation techniques. They also added social workers and community service representatives to support and connect guests to relevant services. LAPL’s approach seeks to balance community service with safety and inclusivity, addressing root causes and fostering a positive, welcoming atmosphere where everyone can thrive and belong.
Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Example: OBA NEXT: The development of a library for the future in the Southeast of Amsterdam
OBA Next is going to be a cutting-edge library in Amsterdam’s South East. The concept is developed in OBA Next Labs, physical spaces managed and programmed with the community partners. OBA Next aims to contribute to neighborhood renewal while avoiding gentrification. Through the Labs, they are creating a community-driven space that respects the local context, promotes dialogue, and positively impacts the neighborhood, adhering to core library values.
San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco, USA
Example: Finding the Middle Ground
San Francisco’s Main Library in the Tenderloin neighborhood faces challenges related to homelessness and the opioid crisis, affecting its reputation and discouraging some community members from visiting. To address this, the San Francisco Public Library partnered with The Exploratorium to create Middle Ground, an interactive exhibit focusing on social science experiments led by BIPOC community ambassadors. The goal is to encourage prosocial behavior, challenge biases, and promote acceptance of the library’s diverse visitors. Visitors are encouraged to confront biases and broaden their understanding of others, aiming to reignite camaraderie and community understanding within the library.
Stadtbibliothek Bremen
Bremen, Germany
Example: Co-existence in a library branch in a hotspot
The library branch faces challenges involving two distinct groups: local residents and counseling service seekers, leading to language barriers, unsupervised children, and tensions. To address this, they’ve designated a separate room for counseling and implemented clear, multi-language rules using pictograms. The goal is to create a welcoming and respectful space where everyone can pursue their interests without disruption, addressing tensions between visitor groups.
Toronto Public Library
Toronto, Canada
Project: Equity and Intellectual Freedom Statements
The statements set a board-approved framework for how the largest public library system in North America approaches intellectual freedom and equity as mutually reinforcing goals. It acknowledges global challenges to intellectual freedom, particularly in Canada, affecting marginalized groups’ rights. The statements are backed with staff training, new programming and a standardized process for library patrons to challenge the library’s position. Challenges are reported annually to the Board.
T.S. Central State Library
Chandigarh, India
Example: Children Library space used by Senior citizens (Cross Generational usage of spaces)
The Children’s Library faces low weekday child usage due to school commitments, while senior citizens lack digital skills and a designated learning space. To address this, they’ve introduced a weekday program focusing on digital literacy for seniors. It includes computer and smartphone learning sessions, fostering intergenerational connections through storytelling and craft classes. Senior citizens share their life stories with children, and they teach crochet and knitting, promoting social interaction. The program aims to bring seniors to the library, encouraging children to respect and learn from them, fostering interest in intergenerational topics.
Bibliography
Wise A, Noble G. Convivialities: An Orientation. Journal of Intercultural Studies. 2016 Sep 2;37(5):423–31.
Rishbeth C, Rogaly B. Sitting outside: conviviality, self-care and the design of benches in urban public space. Trans Inst Br Geogr. 2017 Oct 23;43(2):284–98.
Putnam RD, Leonardi R, Nanetti RY. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. 1st ed. Princeton University Press; 1994.
Barker A, Crawford A, Booth N, Churchill D. Everyday encounters with difference in urban parks: forging ‘openness to otherness’ in segmenting cities. Int J Law Context. 2019 Dec;15(4):495–514.
Back L, Sinha S. Multicultural conviviality in the midst of racism’s ruins. Journal of Intercultural Studies. 2016 Sep 2;37(5):517–32.
