Twitter user @schaalfan recently shared this story about how libraries are safe spaces:
Today a woman with developmental disabilities came into the library, and said she was lost. She didn't know her address, but her phone number was in her pocket on a piece of paper with Elmo on it. She kept saying, "The library is a safe place."
And that post quickly caught the attention of nearly 270,000 people who started sharing their appreciation for the safety of libraries.
@schaalfan The public library is the last space not after your money. It is a genuine sanctuary in a wicked world.
@schaalfan Libraries are the last free space and the best hope. Thanks for thr reminder. Also thanks for getting a degree thats expensive in a hard space to make a buck.
People also started coming forward to share personal experiences about how libraries have been safe places for them throughout their lives.
@schaalfan What a wonderful story! When I was in my early 20s, I was being followed by a creepy man on a Sunday afternoon. I was in a large city, but the neighborhood was quiet that day. I headed for the public library, which was indeed a safe place.
Kids who were bullied felt safe in libraries.
And kids who were mistreated growing up felt comfort and a sense of purpose by being in a library.
People reminded others that libraries give resources to kids who would otherwise not have them.
And some libraries go above and beyond to help provide necessities to the public.
@schaalfan In San Antonio and probably countless other locations, the library is a safe haven for the house less population. They have even found ways to accommodate them by adding more eoutlets and USB chargers so they can charge their cell phones while they are there.
Librarians shared that, although it is tough, they are proud of the work they do.
@schaalfan I'm a librarian - 35 years and counting. I can't tell you how much all your comments mean to me. I am going to share this thread with my coworkers. It's been a really hard 2 years. We take equity and access and community justice issues seriously and continue to try to do better.
And it is our job to make sure their work doesn't go unnoticed.
@schaalfan @LeviFetterman I have encountered a lot of different people in a lot of different careers in my life. Some good. Some bad. But I have never, ever, met a librarian who didn’t want more for me than I even knew I wanted for myself. Heroes, one and all.
Even those who no longer work in libraries understood the importance of their duties.
@schaalfan As someone who worked in public libraries for many years, I love this thread. We are aware how important we are as a place & how many of our patrons view us as folks who can be trusted when they're in trouble.
People just truly feel safe in libraries.
@schaalfan I grew up going to the "big pink library" in town and spending hours there. To this day I don't know what its actual name was, but it was the one place where I felt truly safe and happy in a not so great family life. Thank God for libraries.
And it's a necessary thread proving how crucial it is that we protect libraries at all costs.
@loafnw @schaalfan My mom was a librarian. One day, while working in a back room, she heard a talk radio discussion advocating the banning of a few books. She was their next caller: I WOULDNT LET YOU CHOOSE WHAT FLAVOR ICE CREAM I BUY. WHY IN GOD’S NAME WOULD I LET YOU CHOOSE WHAT I READ? #library
Especially in today's world where they are being undervalued and pushed out.
@schaalfan Thinking of that Forbes guest column from several years back that argued Amazon and Starbucks meant we don't need libraries anymore. Neither of those is a safe place. Not surprisingly, the article was soon pulled. https://t.co/KIXccXQWwG
@schaalfan