“…what I feel like telling you today is that the world needs real dialogue, that falsehood is just as much the opposite of dialogue as is silence, and that the only possible dialogue is the kind between people who remain what they are and speak their minds.” (Albert Camus)
The Civic Dialogue Group at Penn Yan Public Library holds an informal panel discussion/community forum every other month. Adult Services Librarian Alex Andrasik kicked of the discussions in February with “A Century of Black History, Life, and Culture: Where Do We Stand?” Since then, they have discussed Sustainability, LGBTQ Health, Resources and Rights, and this month, Social Security at 80 years. For the full video of the most recent dialogue, visit Penn Yan Public Library’s YouTube channel:
Library Directory Angela Gonzalez said about the program that at first she was trepidatious about the topics, but discussions are civil, engaged, respectful, and without consensus.
But wait – what about Website Wednesday?
I would like us, all of us, to challenge ourselves to discover fostering dialogue within our community in new ways. Unlike Penn Yan, most of our libraries are in significantly less populous and more isolated areas of our region. Could our varying websites and Facebook pages be the place to invite dialogue on relevant and important community topics?
Of course there are risks – there have been numerous studies highlighting that when we are in face to face dialogue, we are much more respectful and careful with our language than we are online. Are there ways to conquer this hurdle and be exemplars of civic dialogue across platforms – within the library’s four walls and out there, in the open internet?
Let’s talk about it! On Twitter: @MargoGustina, Facebook: /MargoElizabeth.Gustina, LinkedIn: in/MargoGustina and through our email lists: adultservices@stls.org or youth@stls.org. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.
Thanks for being a source of continual inspiration,
Margo
