How Repair Events in Libraries Can Create Socially and Ecologically Compassionate Culture and Resilient Communities

Abstract

This chapter examines how libraries can help create socially and ecologically compassionate culture by hosting repair events. The introduction provides a general overview of repair events, as well as how they fit into the mission of public libraries and support sustainability goals. This chapter explores the impacts of repair events through the lens of the five conditions of collective success, doughnut economics, the right-to-repair movement, education, cultural practices, accessibility, and social infrastructure. The second part of the chapter provides a case study of Wellfleet Public Library on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a library that has successfully implemented repair events. The final section offers an overview and step-by-step guide of how libraries can implement repair programs.

Citation

Griffis, G. (2023), "How Repair Events in Libraries Can Create Socially and Ecologically Compassionate Culture and Resilient Communities", Williams-Cockfield, K.C. and Mehra, B. (Ed.) How Public Libraries Build Sustainable Communities in the 21st Century (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 53), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 175-184. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020230000053016