The Meeting Room

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role libraries play as a space within a community. This paper examines library usage by ethnic minorities in the United States and Denmark, and looks at how a library’s space can function as a meeting room for cross cultural exchange. The method used in this study is a literature review. Sources consulted ranges from library science journals to newspaper articles. The time span of the materials consulted is from 1969-present. This paper urges librarians to be advocates on behalf of their minority patrons and ensure open access to the public library. By rethinking how to conceptualize the community of patrons a library serves, this paper suggests that libraries can better function as an arena in which all members of the community can meet and exchange ideas.