Abstract
Libraries may emerge from the COVID-19 crisis in a posture of growth. There are two clear opportunities for librarians to seize. First, the pandemic has brought to light the importance of “third place.” The term refers to space that is separate from home and work where we seek conversation, neutral ground, and comfort in feeling connected. Examples include bars, coffee shops, churches, and beauty salons. Urban Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the phrase in his 1989 book The Great Good Place. Long before COVID-19, Oldenburg argued that America’s third places were disappearing at an alarming rate. He theorized that since WWII, Americans have developed a preference for private lifestyles, single-family dwellings, and a de-emphasis on community. The pages of The Great Good Place lament the decline of social spots, and fervently advocates for their importance as hubs of communication and personal fulfillment. In recent decades we have seen a further decline in third places especially with “the fall of the mall,” the apparent migration from physical commercial spaces to online commerce. COVID-19 hastened that gradual transition to a sudden prohibition.