If you think about it, in the last 30 years, social media has replaced almost all human contact. So, where are the people to meet, gather, and socialize? Eric Klinenberg, a professor of sociology, addresses such issues. Where can people come together? One such place the book focuses on is the public library. The library is a great place for all people to gather. He also says the future of democratic societies rests on shared spaces, such as churches, schools, daycare centers, libraries, bookstores, and parks. This is social infrastructure. When it is strong communities flourish, when neglected communities decline. He sites the great heat wave in Chicago in 1995. Communities who were tight knit saw less deaths than those that were not. Not only focusing on libraries as palaces for the people, where people can gather safely, one also must look beyond to where the future is for safe gathering spots for all people.
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