Public libraries are inextricably linked to democracy. Historically, libraries have been labeled as “temples of democracy.” Since the turn of the century, there has been a growing body of research exploring various aspects of public libraries’ democratic potential. However, these potentials are rarely connected to the rich literature on democracy in philosophy and political science. Furthermore, the different potentials have often been presented in a rather unsystematic manner. This article aims to address these gaps by developing a four-space model that identifies and connects the most significant democratic potentials of public libraries. The model is grounded in democratic theory as well as research and practice related to libraries and democracy. The four key potentials are: access as a democratic right, education for citizenship, libraries as public spheres, and the concept of demos within libraries.

Mexican normal schools (normales), historically dedicated to training teachers within a strong social justice framework, underwent reforms in 1984 that mandated research activity on the science of learning by both faculty and students. Using qualitative methods, this study examines the extent to which libraries support this research requirement as well as the social justice mission at two normales. Findings reveal that libraries heavily rely on free and physical resources and librarians exhibit a strong sense of duty toward student research and community engagement. However, the libraries are challenged particularly regarding faculty research support and providing electronic resources. This study constitutes the first empirical study of libraries within the normales.

Rising reports of attempted book bans suggest a growing organizational sophistication on the part of advocates supportive and opposed to such efforts. While there are various potential allies in the fight against book bans, Friend of the Library (FotL) organizations stand out. Led by volunteers often called Friends, FotL organizations have historically been seen as independent fundraisers and supporters for public libraries throughout much of the United States and world. This study surveys 197 Friends across 37 US states and the District of Columbia to understand what they see as the roles of their organization, how tolerant they are of divergences from those roles, whether they see FotL as library advocates and advocates against book bans specifically, and how important the residency of advocates is to their success. Thematic analysis of the data suggests future research ideas and considers how public libraries can better engage these advocates for combating book bans.

This article adds to library discussions on immigrant outreach by arguing that US library practice simultaneously reflects the nation’s racial stratification and immigration legislation. A chronicle of US race relations, immigration policy, and library engagement with immigrants of color is told through three periods: (1) the founding of the Committee on Work with the Foreign Born (CWFB) in the early twentieth century; (2) the prominence of the ALA Social Responsibilities Roundtable, Ethnic, ALA Multicultural, Information Exchange Roundtable, and National Librarians of Color Organizations (NALCOs) in the late twentieth century; and (3) the recent establishment of the Serving Refugees, Immigrants, and Displaced Persons (SRIDP) subcommittee. The LIS field can work toward more meaningful and contextualized efforts by cultivating awareness of, first, how race factors into both library development and immigration policy and, in addition, the harms posed by racist anti-immigrant sentiment.

The purpose of this research was to answer the question: If social workers are the solution, what is the problem their employment in public libraries is meant to ameliorate/solve? This research approached the question from a critical policy perspective, applying a textually based discourse analysis to library and social work literatures. This supported their reading as discursive resources that do work in the world vis-à-vis the ways in which librarians, library workers, social workers, and marginalized citizens are variously constituted such that the public library has become a key site of both refuge and contestation over its current and future functioning. Questions of jurisdictional knowledge figure predominantly, as do competing perspectives on the library as a community hub and site of professional practice.

Libraries use volunteers. Research indicates various barriers to volunteering. After these barriers have been overcome, it is of great importance that the volunteer is welcomed into the organization. Therefore, hospitality is not just about receiving patrons but also receiving (new) volunteers. For this study, concepts from volunteering were synthesized with hospitality concepts. This case study took place at a library in the northern part of the Netherlands. Data was collected from interviews with management and volunteers in a focus group discussion. The findings were triangulated with official documents from the library. A matrix of hospitality practices is proposed to help libraries attract, retain, and engage volunteers by engendering hospitable behavior. Hospitality practices are divided into three categories: physical, managerial, and ideological. The analysis and findings here support library organizations in becoming inviting places for volunteers. These practices improve the “‘hospitability’” both of and toward volunteers.

Why are there few people of color in library and information science (LIS)? This haunting question frames the context for critical reflection, and based on an application of critical race theory, inspires a thematic deconstruction “one brick at a time” to dismantle entrenched, white-centered power structures in American LIS educational programs. The power differentials that racism creates, and its underlying structures, need to be intentionally/systematically dismantled via deconstructing the following six foundational units (i.e., bricks): Decolonize privileged cultural inheritance of Anglo/Eurocentricity; dethrone highest situatedness of positivist/postpositivist paradigms; destabilize predominant “theory-building” without information actions; dismantle white privilege in the hiring “your own”; contest white faculty privilege demanding “equal” treatment without earned credentials; demand culpability for white (mis)appropriations of minority race/ethnicity-related content. Lessons are globally relevant since American racism is a legacy of an Anglo/Eurocentric colonialist/imperialist order shaping historical and contemporary neoliberal political, social, cultural, and economic intersections around the world.