Redesigning Libraries, Archives & Museums Post-COVID-19
A socially-aware, principled approach
1. Prioritize investment in small organizations embedded in local communities
2. Adapt digital to the needs and culture of specific communities
3. Create smaller, more authentic opportunities for connection
4. Engage with equity and access in mind
5. Leverage assets to combine cultural memory centers with community needs like affordable housing
“These are just five ways that we can be sure that we do not return to normal, and that, if we act quickly, we can rebuild the cultural sector in ways that better reflect the values of an equitable society. Inequity has not happened by accident, it has been designed into our civic structure over a very long history. This will not be changed by cosmetic fixes to long-standing cultural institutions, but instead by a combination of long-term structural change within and a quantifiable shift to support community-based cultural organizations that embody a more just and equitable cultural landscape. This is our opportunity to rebuild with these values at the center.”