Source post: https://slrpnk.net/post/7848456 !memes@slrpnk.net
This concept is the "third space" -- a social space other than work and home where people can congregate, socialize, and relax. Parks and libraries are some of the only remaining spaces in capitalism where people can be humans without paying for the privilege to exist by the minute.
True, that is what the concept has become. But we need to remember that "third place" originally ment places of business like pubs, cafés, barbershops etc.
Modern cities do need the kind of places you ment - not more malls or apple stores (think I read that it's a new trend to have those resemble places you can casually chill so they can casually sell you their stuff).
Americans reinventing coffee houses that aren't Starbucks be like:
Look, we've reinvented the tubes a bunch of times...
We will reinvent humanity a billion times....
I would love this. Like another commenter said, after 10 the no talking rule gets rescinded and it turns into a cafe level of speech.
I’d love to just read books with my wife at a library late at night.
Some libraries, like Austin's Central Library, are centered around that idea.
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Driving in my monster truck to get to the library so I can read until 1am
I dunno that sounds a lot like communism
What if we charged people a 'sitting rent'? And if anyone sits down to wait for their friends we call the cops especially if they aren't of the ahem Caucasian persuasion. Heaven forfend humans actually have a 'commons'
My local library closes before night time, so I'm on board with the idea of them a library closing late at night.
I don't even need to talk to others, just seeing people there would soothe me and ease loneliness I get from not socialising much.
Try kava bars. YMMV depending on your location but here in Florida, there are many that are open late where people just hang out, watch movies, play pool, videogames, read, work, etc and they're usually not loud or crowded and they don't serve alcohol
Libraries here are regularly opened until 22 or so. It's very nice :)
This post is pretty spot on.
Actually the public libraries I know have long abandoned the concept of enforced silence (and librarians 'suggesting' what the patrons should and shouldn't read).
They already have different areas for different needs. And often a café close by or integrated (at least in larger cities). In fact the opening hours are most likely the main reason people don't socialise there in the (late) evenings.
Actually there have been several instances where staff members forgot to lock the entry and libraries have been used outside of their opening hours - without any supervision - and the cool part is that nothing has been vandalized or stolen. Kind of like when libraries abandoned fees for overdue media and the number of returned stuff (in time and long overdue) increased significantly. Libraries have a more central position in our culture than most people realize, they only need to adapt to the times and (re)gain some respect of the public. As institutions they might be more needed than they have been in a long time (providing also reliable information, helping to gain (information) literacy and so on).
What if libraries served drinks. Or quiet pub. I'd be jazzed. That said, I wish libraries were more conducive as social spaces. I know they run events sometimes, but in general time I feel like people aren't approachable
