Embracing our differences at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall

If you spend much time chatting with a public librarian, chances are you’ll end up hearing a lot of idealistic talk. Lofty terms like intellectual freedom, equity of access and civic engagement are always rolling off our tongues — we tend to be a pretty values-driven bunch. Of course, we temper our idealism with the pragmatism required to manage a complex organization like a library, but in the end, we do this work because we believe in what the library represents: lifelong learning, empowerment and access to culture and media for all.

Those last two words — “for all” — carry a lot of significance. That’s what makes it a public library, after all. And to my mind, that’s the great potential of a place like the Andrew Carnegie Free Library. Not only do we welcome everyone freely, but we strive to take an active hand in knitting together the fibers of our community. When we bring people together in conversation or a shared learning experience, we help to strengthen Carnegie’s social fabric and forge greater understanding and empathy among our neighbors.

This was our goal this past June, when we launched our newest adult book group: a series we call “Embracing Our Differences.” Challenging conversations about race, identity and American history were bubbling up in cities and towns all across the country, and we wanted to create a safe and supportive forum for the folks of Carnegie and neighboring communities to share in this important dialogue.

Together with Pastor Sara Irwin of Saint John Carnegie Evangelical Lutheran, Reverend Colleen Molinaro of Carnegie Presbyterian Church and engaged community member Terry Lee, we planned a four-week series of discussions about the 2018 graphic memoir “Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations” by Mira Jacob. A first-generation Indian American, Mira finds herself fielding difficult questions about race from her young mixed-race son, leading her to explore and reflect on her own experiences with racism throughout her life.

We hoped to broaden minds, challenge preconceptions and forge connections with our participants. We could hardly have asked for a more satisfying outcome! Fifteen adults — all from different backgrounds and with different perspectives — gathered for a series of lively conversations that grappled with some of the thorniest social issues we face as a country. I don’t think that any of our participants left unchanged.

Most gratifying of all, our intrepid group was eager for the discussion to continue. I’m pleased to announce that “Embracing Our Differences” will return for a second series, beginning on Sept. 21. We plan to discuss the Oprah’s Book Club selection “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Isabel Wilkerson (“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration”). “Caste” is a deeply researched and beautifully written book, uncovering the ways that our societies create and reinforce hierarchies of human rankings.

Just as the public library strives to provide equitable access for all, our nation aspires to be a truly egalitarian democracy — but as Wilkerson masterfully shows, hidden caste systems remain interwoven through almost every part of our lives. The first step to overcoming systems of oppression is seeing and understanding them. I can hardly wait to hear the thoughts of our attendees on “Caste.” I hope that you’ll join our group this fall as we learn and grow together.

Walker Evans is the library director at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall.