Jamie Johnston

Increasing and persistent social divisions are a global challenge that threaten the stability of our societies and soundness of our democracies. Public libraries can potentially play an ameliorative role in reducing these divisions. Qualitative data analysis of Oslo’s public library system’s (Deichman) programming and events is used to understand how libraries are addressing social divisions in their communities. The findings suggest that a variety of events organized by Deichman directly contribute to overcoming social divisions, especially those related to economic inequalities, sociocultural factors, and the unequal access to digital technologies. Deichman also appears to contribute to overcoming social divisions indirectly through its programing and events related to more traditional library services. The study concludes that Deichman may be a significant player in addressing social divisions. Lastly, the study provides important insights into the role of libraries as social arenas and their ability to foster community resilience, tolerance, and democracy.