This article is a review of ‘Learning to belong: Ordinary pedagogies of civic belonging in a multicultural public library’ by Rebecca Williamson in Journal of Intercultural Studies.
This article refers to the Campsie Public library in suburban Sydney. Having read this article I have a better understanding of how library spaces can be shared with a mixture of cultures, age and language groups. Over the years, libraries have evolved from bookkeepers to knowledge portals, community hubs and safe places for all community members. Libraries are the most heavily used public buildings in Australia, offering babies, children and young people programs, but they do not attract many teenagers (Bundy, 2007, p. 173). The library provides a communal, accessible space where people can pursue their agendas which may or may not refer to their ethnocultural identity (Williamson, 2020, p. 543).
Accommodating diverse groups in libraries that do not have separate areas for different groups especially children and young people, can be a problem. For libraries with limited space, the noise level of children and young people can be annoying to other patrons (Williamson, 2020, p. 553). I have experienced the noise level problem in our library when young people are attending an activity the older people complain about the noise level. To overcome this problem staff warn our regular older patrons about an upcoming event, they are then happy to change the time of their library visit. The library must accommodate all age groups and the spatial and material cues that affect the library experience (Williamson, 2020, p. 546). Children and young people have different needs, the children’s area needs to be bright and allow young children to play, whereas the young adult area requires quiet study areas and some comfortable seating to ‘hang out’ (Williamson, 2020, p. 549).
Children engaging with libraries from a young age are more likely to engage with society as adults, and a welcoming public library is a significant investment to achieve this (Bundy, 2007, p. 175). Baby bounce and storytime are regular library events and are well attended by younger children and their parents or carers. The parents or carers see this activity as a fun and engaging activity, and they lead the program. In contrast, the older age group 12-18, the choice is usually theirs. To encourage young people to the library the negative images of libraries being dull, boring and unapproachable staff need to change to a welcoming library and a chance to be involved with the shaping of the library services (Bundy, 2007, p. 174). Creating a young teen area and organising young friends of the library group would encourage young people to engage with staff and create library programs.
As a public institution, public libraries must balance managing all age groups and accommodate their needs in a shared space (Williamson, 2020, p. 555). Most libraries run regular children’s programs for such as baby bounce, children’s storytime or holiday activities regularly, but the library does not provide programs catering for young adults as often. The library caters for all users in the community and the diverse range age, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. This article stated that ‘teenagers tend to mix from different cultures’ (Williamson, 2020, p. 554), and the library is the opportunity to contact and engage with people from different social and ethnic backgrounds. The library must be a place where diverse groups of all ages feel welcomed and their values respected.
Reference
Bundy, A. (2007). Looking ever forward: Australia’s public libraries serving children and young people [online]. Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services. 20(4) 173-182.
Williamson, R. (2020). Learning to belong: Ordinary pedagogies of civic belonging in a multicultural public library. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 41(5), 543-558. DOI: 10.1080/07256868.2020.1806801