Museums & Libraries

​No longer mere repositories of books and information, libraries and museums are becoming hubs of civic engagement and “community living rooms” – places where people come together to discuss the issues affecting their communities and the world. Civic reflection is an effective tool as museums and libraries make this transition, helping staff members and visitors to not only read, learn, and think together, but talk together about civic issues.

CCR Director, Adam Davis, lead a discussion with representatives from cultural museums across Chicago.
CCR Director, Adam Davis, lead a discussion with representatives from cultural museums across Chicago.

Benefits:

  • Enhanced facilitation skills that enable librarians and museum staff to lead meaningful discussions with visitors, community members, and colleagues.

  • Strategic shift to thinking about libraries and museums as places where people learn from books and exhibits to places where people learn from each other.

  • Opportunity to engage new communities and populations -- i.e. younger audiences, adults who bring their children to libraries and/or museums, etc.

View impact case studies that detail CCR's work with museums and libraries.

What People Are Saying

"

Libraries are ideally situated to nurture... democratic practices. Libraries are open to all; they contain books and other materials that can provide people with a common experience and vocabulary... Libraries, which are often seen as products of democracy, can also be seen as engines of democracy, as places where people go to engage with one another and to begin making a difference.

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--Adam Davis

Director, Center for Civic Reflection

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This series has caused me to think about how my values and beliefs influence my perspective on public issues.

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--New Hampshire State Legislator

New Hampshire Humanities Council Conversation Series

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It has been helpful to hear other legislators from both parties answer difficult questions candidly.  We rarely have that opportunity in the State House.

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--New Hampshire State Legislator

New Hampshire Humanities Council Conversation Series