Public Libraries as Contemplative Spaces: A Framework for Action and Research

This article argues for the concept of public library as contemplative space. Public libraries, beyond their information access and public sphere functions, have an important role to play in cultivating the inner lives of their patrons. This situation is even more acute given the psychosocial maladies of our information age. This focus on contemplation is related to the growing interest in mindfulness both in LIS and wider society. However, contemplation is a wider and more effective term to use, as it can refer to a wide range of practices focused on enhancing interiority and promoting a deepened sense of meaning and purpose. Public libraries have an important role to play in providing more affordable, equitable, and inclusive access to contemplative practices through programming and other activities. The article also discusses specific examples of public library as contemplative space. These examples chart a course and vision for a deeper and potentially transformative understanding of how libraries can be effective contemplative spaces for society. In this vision, the health, well-being, and inner lives of patrons are front and centre.