Bicycles, power tools, and community: The evolution of libraries | Natalie Hauff | TEDxCharleston

[Applause] Librarians spend all day long just sitting and reading libraries are super quiet what do we need libraries now that we have Amazon these are just some of the things that I have heard over the years said about public libraries a few months ago I was at an event and I was wearing my name tag and on it it said my name that I work for the public library and it had my title on it with the word innovation and the woman that I was speaking to I watched her as she glared at me and she looked up and she looked at the name tag and she said what does the library do that's innovative ouch that stung and am constantly surprising people oh well about what public libraries are doing these days he my earliest memory of public libraries were dark and dingy but still something about that day just bothered me and I knew I had to scream from the rooftops because people don't know what they're missing public libraries are vibrant community centers where everyone is welcome and it's that accessibility which is why I'm so passionate and why I'm standing here today the access to that kind of freedom you see back in 1960 my grandparents had to flee their home country of Cuba and they had to leave almost everything behind well almost everything my grandfather he owned a shoe company in Cuba and he did not want to leave my grandmother's wedding rings behind so he took the Rings and he stuffed them in the heels of shoes and he got them into the United States so that they had a piece of their home with them when they restarted their lives here in the U.S and because of that I get to look at these rings every single day and they're a constant reminder to me of the sacrifice that they made for a chance for me to have freedom and for my children to have freedom and libraries are leveraging that accessibility giving us the chance to grow to learn to be better versions of ourselves and inside you will be shocked by what you will find do you want to touch a stingray come and check out a pass and you'll get in free to the aquarium with it would you like to see the solar system come and borrow a telescope take it home some libraries are even letting people take power tools and bicycles home and it's that experience that is just changing the way that libraries are serving their communities a few months ago I was in one of the libraries and a woman Peggy came in she walked over to the computer area and she was a ball of nerves she was clutching her cell phone she was holding on Ty two and she looked up at the employee and said oh my gosh I need your help I don't know what to do I've got to get this court document uploaded I'm not sure how to do it maybe scan and the man looked at her and said don't worry we'll take care of it whatever you need we will help you and I watch the tension in her shoulders drop and she actually said to him I depend on public libraries I don't know what I would do without you and that is happening all around this country in communities big and small and libraries are adapting to the communities that they serve and Technology plays a huge role in that think about email it's something that you use every single day I certainly take it for granted but libraries are helping people every day set up emails it's one of the most common things that Library staff work on and now think about it for a second What would life be like without using your email buying something applying for a lease or applying for a job would become nearly impossible but libraries are teaching people how to set emails up and teaching them how to use them without judgment how many places do you know in America where you can get that kind of help it's like the saying goes if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime and public libraries are feeding the hearts and minds of communities around this country they're also feeding their bellies during the covid-19 pandemic libraries around the country started providing food access programs to help fight food insecurity and that accessibility has helped connect with communities last month I was in one of our libraries and I was working on emails and a woman came in let's call her Betty and she said good morning as she walked in it was so loud and so lovingly that I had to look up for my computer she was obviously irregular she knew everyone in there and she made her way over to the refrigerator Sharon that works at that Library grabbed a paper bag and met her over at the fridge and the two of them they looked through it and they kind of decided what they were going to take for the day and she said do you like do you want some kale and she said oh you you know I love my kale and they stuff the bag and they closed it up and then Sharon put her arm around Betty and I watched them as the two of them walked out to the parking lot in this embrace that connection that's another reason people love their libraries the lonely they feel a little less lonely those who feel like outcasts in our society they have a place of belonging in our spaces if you walk through one of our libraries you might find some adults over in the community room doing Tai Chi I have no idea what Tai Chi looks like I'm not even gonna try but take a class I probably should or you might find some teenagers over in the computer lab learning how to code there's a woman making something in the 3D printer or there might be a young man just looking for a cool place from the hot sun my grandparents are gone now but I know that they treasured that I fight and advocate for libraries and the inclusivity they provide and I got an example of that a few weeks ago I got invited to help one of our Librarians do a story time now story time is a pretty foundational program for children in our libraries it helps kids learn early literacy skills and so she was doing a special bilingual story time and I speak Spanish so she asked if I would help her I was super excited so I showed up and I was shocked Annie the librarian knew the name of every single one of the kids in that story time that they're kids and so we got ready there were a few new people who came specifically for the bilingual Story Time and a woman sat in front of me and she spoke Spanish and her son Bruno sat in her lap and so the way that it went was Annie would read a page in English of the story and I would read a page in Spanish and when it got to me and I read that page I tell you Bruno's eyes just lit up as he looked at me those big brown beautiful eyes and in that moment we connected and maybe he felt like he belonged a little bit more because he heard his language in that space and libraries are always welcoming everyone to feel that way so I want you to do something I want you to go to your Public Library walk run bike swim I don't care whatever it takes go to a library see what you'll discover and who you may connect with oh and I promise we still have books thank you

Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 37,325

Keywords: Book, Community, Curiosity, Education, English, Library, Public Spaces, TEDxTalks, [TEDxEID:49598]

Id: W9jtlm9fpc4

Length: 9min 21sec (561 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 12 2023