In a “do or die” decade for public libraries, I shared my hope for positive societal disruption characterized by public engagement. It closed with the notion that public libraries can play a key role in the rejuvenation of our communities and our self-governance. 
R. David Lankes, Associate Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and director of the library science program, made an impassioned plea to librarians in the keynote for the Pennsylvania District Library Center/Library Systems Meeting this month. During his presentation, Dave notes the disconnect between librarians and their communities when pondering the value of libraries and calls for a renegotiation of the library charter. His closing slide and comments are reproduced below. I encourage you to both listen and read his words. The vision is inspiring to me — does it inspire you? What would it take to realize it?
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When you look at your libraries, your institutions, when you look at the colleagues and communities, ask yourself what happens if people took away the facades, what happens if people took away the collections, what happens if people take away the materials – are we still librarians?
I would say yes, and I would say that in fact, we’re more valuable than ever. That we need to look at this. That we are those people – the people who shoulder by shoulder with our communities strive to make those communities better. We are the hands of the people shaping that community’s future; lifting the people’s aspirations and possibilities. We are the sinew and blood of the community, vital to life, strong and ever present. Together, with the community, of the community, inseparable. We must show those who set budgets and priorities that a cut to the work of librarians is a slash to the community they seek to represent. Our messengers should not be us. Our messengers must be parents and the businessmen, the wealthy and the poor, the young and the old, the connected and the disenfranchised.
… When we build a library building we build aspirational institutions; we build what is the best of the community and what have we chosen? We’ve chosen libraries. We’ve chosen knowledge. We’ve chosen learning. We’ve chosen YOU to represent the best of us.
… Mobilizing and action is only going to happen when we get [the community] mobilized and engaged and that’s only going to happen when we serve them well.
…We are the major assets here; we need to show that every day. That’s our challenge. And if we can do that, if we can shape ourselves not to be stewards of a collection, not to be for the community in a separate institution but of the community in the best of the community and central to the community and part of that … then our best days are ahead of us.
