The Closing Plenary will feature
Louise Bernard, founding Director of the Obama Presidential Center, and
Eric Klinenberg, Professor of Sociology at New York University and author of
Palaces for the People. They will be introduced by Brian Bannon, Commission and CEO, Chicago Public Library.
Louise Bernard will share the latest on the planning for the Obama Presidential Center, including a preview of the first major collaboration between a public library and a presidential center. Eric Klinenberg will explore how libraries serve as “a textbook example of social infrastructure in action,” a shared space which invites and supports the full continuum of people, sometimes considered a radical notion. Together, they will explore possibilities for reimagining libraries for the mid-21st century.
Robert Miller, Chief Executive Officer of LYRASIS, will deliver closing remarks, synthesizing content from this session and the full fest.
