If you’ve visited your local library recently, you might have seen some kids listening to story time ... teenagers seated in front of computers ... adults reading on couches ... somebody sleeping. Libraries aren’t just for quiet reading anymore.
“If we’re quiet, hush places with books only, we’re not relevant to this community,” says Oakland’s 81st Avenue Senior Library Assistant, Anthony Propernick. “I think we have to provide a safe place; we have to provide a place where people can come and hang out and exchange ideas and develop a sense of community.”
Propernick spoke with KALW’s community storytelling team, Hear Here. Hear Here has been collecting stories from libraries on both sides of the Bay. In San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley neighborhood, the Hear Here producers met DaJuan Simpson, a thirteen-year-old young man who loves his local library. DaJuan gives us a tour and shows us all the things you can do there.
This story is a part of Hear Here: A Pop-Up Radio Project. What's your favorite neighborhood spot? Your kitchen? Corner store? Local park? Let our Hear Here producers know by visiting the project’s website and clicking on "PARTICIPATE." You can also find the project on Facebook or follow it on Twitter @hearhereradio.
