Healthy Places by Design is a nonprofit consulting organization dedicated to advancing community-led action and implementing proven, place-based strategies to improve health and wellbeing for all. By focusing on the built environment and social factors that influence community health, they help create spaces and opportunities for people to connect, thrive, and lead healthier lives. Libraries and other community organizations can participate in their Socially Connected Communities Network and utilize their valuable resources and guidance to foster social connection, address social isolation, and implement sustainable community wellbeing strategies. See below for details on those opportunities, including an upcoming webinar on Cultivating... Read more

In recent years, society has focused more on neurodiversity – for example, you hear it mentioned in popular media and movies, as more diverse characters are represented in mainstream media. New research has led to an expanded understanding of neurodiversity, leading to later-in-life diagnoses and prompting growing advocacy, especially on social media platforms. These shifts in awareness and acceptance have sparked changes in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Efforts to understand and appreciate neurodiversity have made it into mainstream culture, and we want to highlight some resources that may help you better support your fellow staff members and patrons. In... Read more

Despite living in an age of unprecedented digital connectivity, people are feeling the increasing effects of loneliness and isolation. These challenges extend beyond individuals, weakening the health, resilience, and trust of entire communities. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, reveals that loneliness can harm our health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. While the impact is profound, there are clear and achievable solutions within our reach.

Eric Klinenberg, in Palaces for the People, describes libraries as essential social infrastructure—places where connections are made, trust is built, and belonging grows.... Read more

Imagine having an easy way to engage your library patrons in a conversation about the importance of your library. That’s the idea behind. Free For All: The Public Library, an exciting new documentary premiering on PBS Indie Lens this April. The film chronicles the evolution of the nation’s public libraries, tracing the battles over who can enter, what belongs there, and who makes these decisions while exploring how public spaces are defined and defended.  

Directors Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor traveled the US, discovering unsung historic and modern-day figures, often women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy.... Read more