Underlying Causes of Alienation and Disaffection

1
Underlying Causes of Alienation and Disaffection

• Loss of public space
• Loss of social responsibility
• Loss of faith in own voice in political process

2
Democracys Challenge

• Foster public deliberation
• Democracy is our problem
• and not their problem.

3
As Librarians How Do We

• Bring people back into the public square?
• Provide opportunities for authentic engagement?
• Restore hope?
• Change the tone of public discourse?
• Renew communities?
• Reclaim democracy as ours
• not theirs?

4
Civic Engagement Movement Goals

• Inspire people to enter the public square
• Encourage community participation
• Revitalize civic education in K-12 and higher
  education
• Nurture next-generation participants

5
Challenges to Meeting These Goals

• Erosion of thriving public sphere
• Polarization No shared public space/discourse
• Fragmentation America today
• is socially isolated
• No means/tools to hear sides

6
Libraries Offer Solutions

• Bridges communities
• Bulwark of 1st Amendment rights
• Bastion for a diversity of ideas and civic
  engagement

7
Civic Engagement Definition

• Describes how an active citizen participates in
  the life of a community
• in order to help shape the communitys future.
• Can take many forms and includes a broad range of
  ways to participate in
• civic life.

8
Civic Engagement Definition

• Includes intensive community service broad
  community involvement through voting, advocating
  for community issues, holding public office, and
  making charitable contributions.

9
What Can We Do?

• What pathways can we provide in our community for
  people and organizations to engage in public life
  that spans boundaries and dividing lines and
  brings people together

10
What Can We Do?

• How can we offer citizens an opportunity for
  civic mindshareto reconnect with one another in
  the public squareto cross dividing linesto take
  small steps forward

11
How Libraries Can Foster Civic Engagement

• The Library as Civic Space comfortable,
  inviting, neutral, safe
• The Library as Public Forum Dialogue and
  Deliberation
• The Library as Civic Information Center
• The Library as Community-Wide Reading Club

12
How Libraries Can Foster Civic Engagement

• The Library as Partner in Public Service.
• The Library as Enabler of Civic Literacy.
• The Library as Public Advocate

13
Cannot Do It AlonePartnerships

• Public, school, academic and special libraries
  can forge civic partnerships with other
  organizations and individuals that extend their
  reach and help them achieve their mission.

14
Cannot Do It AlonePartnerships

• College and university librarians can work
  promote community service, encourage
  collaborative partnerships, and assist faculty
  with integrating public and community engagement
  into teaching and research.

15
Cannot Do It AlonePartnerships

• Public librarians can partner with civic
  organizations to develop civil society programs,
  guide citizens to community information, and host
  reading clubs and other public forums.
• School librarians can partner to teach students
  the rights and responsibilities of citizenship

16
What Can We Do?

• Experience authentic dialogue
• Learn more, understand other viewpoints
• Get below the surface
• Foster civic literacy

17
What Can We Do?

• Solve community problems
• Build community
• Get involved bring people back into the public
  square,
• be a good citizen

18
ALA Civic Engagement Opportunities

• Fostering Civic Engagement MIG
• Deliberate Listserv
• Libraries and civic engagement blog
• Bibliography
• September project
• OPAL monthly online conference

19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)