How to Prevent Extremism: Information Access as a Method of De-escalation

​I wrote this back in 2023 and am just now posting it. I've been thinking a lot lately about libraries and their roles in today's environment; this is the beginning of some of my thought process -- and a little case study!

Libraries as vehicles for pacifism

Previously, I had thought of libraries as places that smelled good and had good study vibes that I could also utilize for free audiobooks, and spaces where people could engage in community activities. This isn’t wrong, but what I learned is that the social role libraries play in communities -- as resources for information, but also for social interaction -- makes libraries vehicles for pacifism. 

As Eric Kleinenberg and Roman Mars discuss in “Palaces for the People,” investing in community resources can literally reduce crime. Having the hard data they discuss about repairing broken windows is extremely useful when considering how to convince community leaders with the pocketbooks to continue investing in libraries and information centers. 

As a Quaker, one of my life objectives is deescalating situations as a vehicle for peace. The evidence of the impact of libraries on problems that Americans complain about in the political sphere on the regular–and taking into consideration the respect (and relative nonpartisanship) libraries as institutions generally enjoy -- could be an optimal avenue for de-escalating situations by way of unifying communities.

Photo by Raphael Brasileiro

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