Can libraries truly bridge political divides—and are librarians nonpartisan?

This is part two of my recap from the Next Library Festival.

In last week’s reflections, I shared that among all the festival’s themes, the democracy track raised the most sub-questions—each one pressing:

• As public discourse moves online and becomes more polarized, how can libraries remain venues for dialogue?

• When books are banned, how should libraries respond?

• Can libraries truly bridge political divides—and are librarians nonpartisan?

• How do we engage apathetic citizens without losing hope?

• And the one that stays with me: Whose voices get heard?

These are powerful questions, and I knew I wouldn’t have enough space to unpack all of them in one post. So today, I want to spend time with question three: Can libraries truly bridge political divides—and are librarians nonpartisan?

At first glance, it might seem like a question about civic health or democracy. But many have pointed out it’s also a public health concern—and a national security issue. It’s not an easy question to talk about because it’s so layered, which is why some libraries choose not to engage at all. Still, I believe that if we break this question into smaller parts, it becomes less overwhelming. Let’s get into it.

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“Can Libraries…”

I like to break this part of the question into four themes—what I call the four C’s: capacity, calling (mission and vision), complexity, and capability. These four ideas are often at the heart of any new initiative a library takes on. And when it comes to bridging political divides, the question that usually comes up is about capability: can a library actually do this kind of work?

I’d like to answer that question with a story.

I first heard about the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) back in 2018 through its Innovations Initiative. It's an annual awards program that shines a light on bold, creative work happening in urban libraries. Now, some people hear the term “urban library” and think only of massive systems in places like New York or Los Angeles. But ULC’s members also include places like Skokie Public Library and Lawrence Public Library—smaller systems that serve under 100,000 people and still manage to do remarkable, nationally recognized work.

In 2018, my manager asked me to submit an application highlighting the work we were doing at the library branch I managed. Of course, I jumped in, eager to share the story of the deep community engagement and innovation that was underway in Memphis. Our submission was selected for recognition, which was an honor. But what truly blew me away was what I saw on the list of other honorees:

• Hartford Public Library’s program offering free training for immigrants to enter the food, tourism, and hospitality industries—complete with classes, certifications, and job readiness support.

• San Francisco Public Library’s initiative to cultivate citizen scientists by training librarians to host “bioblitzes”—connecting patrons to the natural world in powerful ways.

• St. Louis County Library’s hands-on tech series for kids aged 10 to 14, using Google CS First and Scratch to teach coding and computational thinking.

• And a standout from Howard County Library System—a program called Choose Civility that celebrated diversity and promoted values like empathy, compassion, and inclusion.

Immigration. Climate science. Twenty-first century skills. All led by local libraries. In 2018.

So when someone asks, “Can libraries...?”, my answer is usually: They probably already are. Not every library is doing everything (and doesn’t need to), but collectively they are covering a lot of ground.

Because the work is rooted in their mission.
Because the staff are driven by a desire to improve their communities—whether in small ways or big ones.
What they need is funding and support to keep going and scale if needed.

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“Truly Bridge Divides…”

This might be the toughest part of the question to answer—mainly because everyone defines “bridging” differently.

Since 2022, I’ve had the privilege of working on a project called the Library Bridgebuilding Program, a collaboration between IREX, WebJunction, and now ULC. If you’ve read my book, you’re already familiar with this work. The program was created to help public libraries respond to rising distrust and social division.

In this program, we define bridging as:
“Engaging across difference in ways that respect identities, foster mutual relationships, seek a common good, and promote a commitment to civic engagement—thereby contributing to social capital, civic health, and a stronger democracy.”

As part of the initiative, I worked with a small team of researchers and analysts to map how libraries were approaching bridging. We found that there was no single way to do it. In fact, we created a typology of public library strategies:

• Type A: Offering access to information and experiences—books, internet, exhibits, author talks, storytime. These foundational activities build trust and civic attitudes.

• Type B: Meeting essential needs—job help, food distribution, support for unhoused neighbors, free phones for youth.

• Type C: Civic engagement—voter registration, “meet your representative” events, Constitution displays.

• Type D: Bridging—creating understanding across identity groups through conversations, “Human Libraries,” community concerts, and more.

We heard incredible stories from library professionals. They told us that this work wasn’t easy. It often required extra community engagement to ensure diverse participation, and in many cases, was carried out by a single library staff member—which could be isolating. Still, the outcomes were powerful. Librarians shared stories of participants who became more welcoming of newcomers, more willing to engage in difficult conversations, and more confident in talking across differences. Some of these were book clubs or political discussions. Others were simply shared experiences—music, art, or service.

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“And Are Librarians Nonpartisan?”

My answer? No—and they don’t need to be.

Library professionals are like professionals in any other field. They are not a political monolith. Across the country, people - in lots of different professions - of all political persuasions are working to bring communities together. Some are beautifying parks. Others are painting murals. Some are hosting brave conversations. And while not everyone embraces dialogue work, the truth is that, sooner or later, we all have to find ways to work together to strengthen our communities. Part of that strengthening means helping people talk and work together across their differences—and we have to help them build those skills.

Instead of asking librarians to be apolitical, let’s equip them with the skills to lead bridging efforts with integrity and care. As our bridgebuilding program shows - many are already doing the work.

Years ago, my mentor and friend Eric Liu created an initiative called Sworn Again. It invites people to renew their vows—not as married couples, but as citizens. The pledge reads:

I pledge to be an active American
to show up for others
to govern myself
to help govern my community.

I recommit myself to my country’s creed
to cherish liberty
as a responsibility.

I pledge to serve
and to push my country:
when right, to be kept right;
when wrong, to be set right.

Wherever my ancestors and I were born,
I claim America
and I pledge to live like a citizen.

Anyone who can buy into that creed can also engage in bridging work. We have to start with things that can unite. As Eric says, “What binds us together isn’t a single identity, religion, or language. It’s our creed. Our shared values. And that creed comes to life when we demonstrate our belief in democracy—and in one another.” There’s more to say on this, but that’s for another time.

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Looking Ahead

Here are a few things I am, or will be, watching (or reading)—and you might want to check out too:

• Building Civic Trust and Economic Recovery through Public Space – Detroit, USA
  Featuring one of my favorite people, Alexa Bush, this session explores how Detroit is using public space to rebuild trust and support recovery post-pandemic.

• Youth Rely on Digital Platforms, Need Media Literacy to Access Political Information
  A must-read on how young people are navigating political content online—and why media literacy is more important than ever.

• Civic Season at the Chicago History Museum
  A short but powerful video showing how CHM is leaning into Civic Season, from Juneteenth to July 4th.

• Finding Friendship and Connection Through the Public Realm
  Six cities show how creative public space use can foster community and connection.

• The Value and Impact of Scotland’s Public Libraries
  A research project exploring the deep impact of Scottish public and school libraries.

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Have a wonderful week!

-Shamichael