Transforming Libraries into Centers of Community Engagement: Towards Inclusion, Equality & Empowerment

Abstract

An array of socio-political changes around the globe have stirred debate and discussion on questions of exclusion of marginalized and disadvantaged groups and ways of eliminating this imbalance through policy interventions . The question of just social representation has come centre stage “due to increasing social unrest and quest for understanding patterns of social representation and strategies for inclusive public policies have exploded around the world marked by an upsurge of interest in strategies of inclusion ranging from different kind affirmative actions, more inclusive representations and creating a institutionalized mechanism that addresses the needs of various marginalized groups on the basis of race, religion and ethnic backgrounds. The overall purpose of paper is to examine as to whether libraries can reposition themselves as nerve centres of community engagements by building capacities of common masses so as to partner with public policy programme for building an inclusive and equal society” (Ashraf, 2017) . Paper argues that libraries as empowering and democratizing institutions can engage communities by “outreaching and take up expansive roles which are confined to not only serving as information resource but much more. It is found that as powerful social institution with sizeable presence , libraries have started engaging with local communities by transforming themselves as socio- cultural & capacity building hubs globally”.