How can libraries continue to fulfill their role as vital third places in digital environments? We will discuss virtual library programming in the era of social media, online education, and the loneliness epidemic on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 15 at 10am CT.
The role of libraries as “Third Place” – community building spaces that separate from home and work — has been noted ever since Ray Oldenberg described the concept in his book, “The Great Good Place.” While both academic and public libraries continue to serve in this role as physical third places, what about in an online environment? Simply offering online circulation and reference services is insufficient. This presentation will discuss recent research on loneliness, social media, and how strategic design of virtual library programming can enable libraries to continue to fulfill their role as vital third places in digital environments.
Presenters: Jenny Haddon, Processing and Outreach Archivist, Assistant Professor, Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska at Kearney; Craig Finlay, OER & STEM Librarian, Criss Library, University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Feb. 22 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Makerspaces: Hubs for Interdisciplinary Learning
- March 1 – 2023 One Book One Nebraska: ‘The Mystery of Hunting’s End’
- March 8 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
