Public Libraries and Resilient Cities

For librarians, library administrators, and urban and regional planners, Dudley, a librarian and city planner who teaches and researches at the Institute of Urban Studies and in environmental studies at the U. of Winnipeg, Canada, assembles 14 essays that explore the roles of public libraries in the promotion of ecologically, economically, and socially resilient communities in challenging times, showing that libraries can contribute to a city's diversity, adaptability, and learning capacity. He first reviews the major trends facing contemporary urban societies and their libraries, key concepts in resilience, and how they can relate to the public library's mission, then library and planning practitioners from the US, Canada, Europe, and Africa detail their experiences working in challenging circumstances and addressing social issues through programs and services. Their case studies describe addressing social exclusion through collections and services, creating equitable services to address social needs, outreach efforts, providing a free summer meal program for children and youth, bringing the benefits of nature to urban areas through library gardens, forming partnerships to build sustainable communities, creating a sense of place through library architecture, offering facilities and services to assist in disaster recovery, offering support relating to climate change issues, and collaboration in conditions of severe poverty. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)