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Dudley, Michael (ed) Public Libraries and Resilient Cities Chicago: American Library Association, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-8389-1136-5
When we think of the public library it is easy to enclose our inquiry within the walls of the library itself. We study the collections, programs, and services. As geographers and urban studies enthusiasts, we ask questions about how the physical space of the public library is understood. Is it a public space, open to all? Or a public sphere for debate and discussion? Our spatial analysis leads us to discuss the public library in terms of social exclusion, public engagement and community-led initiatives. But what do these concepts mean for the library's surrounding environment; more specifically, what do they mean for the city?
Public Libraries and Resilient Cities opens the doors to discussing the role of the public library in the city, from crisis to resiliency. In this edited collection, the library is presented as a key actor in the development of the sustainable city. Sustainability, in this context, has multiple definitions: from climate change to austerity measures to food security....