I'm sure most adults today can recall at least part of what occurred in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014.
On August 9, 2014, black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson. What followed started as a major peaceful protest against police brutality, systematic racism, and lethal force. However, small factions began looting local businesses and committing acts of violence and arson. The local police responded wearing riot gear and carrying tear gas, rubber bullets, and even stun grenades. This went on for over two weeks. Even those remaining peaceful were facing attacks by police. As local businesses began to close out of fear, the local school districts decided not to start the school year in mid-August.
However, one institution chose to remain open -- the Ferguson Municipal Public Library. A small library with only one full-time librarian, the library had (and still has) a miniscule budget. Scott Bonner was appointed library director in July of 2014, just five weeks before the shooting. Bonner states that, when he started his tenure, there was not a single program scheduled at the library. As local businesses boarded up their windows, Bonner made the decision to keep the library open.
It began with a single sign in the entryway of the library. "During difficult times, the library is a quiet oasis where we can catch our breath, learn, and think about what to do next. Please help keep our oasis peaceful and serene. Thank you!" The library offered a quiet space to reflect, charge phones, and get water. However, eventually, a local teacher went to Bonner and suggested hosting teachers and students in the library. With schools not opening, children were not learning and parents had no childcare options. Teachers and tutors volunteered their time to teach local children during the day. Meals were donated in order to feed the children during this time as well.
Around this time, the Ferguson Municipal Public Library took to Twitter (now X). Previously, their Twitter feed was fairly sporadic. However, there was a major uptick in posting after the shooting. They provided information to the public, telling them they were to remain open and at what hours. They posted that they are hosting teachers for children to learn various lessons throughout the day. They provided links to local news and resources. They conversed with the community, ensuring that they are putting the safety of patrons and staff first, and that the library is safe. Their feed became a beacon of hope, a refuge for locals, and an information source for those at home and abroad.
Their message continued to spread, and quickly went viral. Bonner reported that, on the first day offering their "School for Peace", about 12 children were in attendance. However, after just a few days, so many children were in the library that they needed to house overflow "classes" in a local church. In addition to this local support, people from all over the world began donating to the library's cause. To this day, Bonner states that the library relies on supplemental donations, as their annual budget sits at $400,000. After it was announced that a grand jury would not indict Wilson in the death of Brown in late November 2014, more protests broke out within minutes. Again, businesses and schools closed while the library remained open. They continued their mission of solidarity and community, reporting to Twitter as often as possible. Within a few days, Bonner announced that total donations to the library had totaled over $175,000, nearly half of the library's annual budget. Donations continued to pour in and, as of early 2017, donations had increased to over $450,000. With these extra funds available, the library was able to hire a second full-time librarian--a children's librarian--and now offers many more programs.
Bonner has been quoted as stating that they were just trying to do what libraries do. By creating a safe space for Ferguson citizens during a difficult time, and using their social media to spread the word, karma came back to them in a big way. Bonner is still the library director today, and the library appears to be doing well.
If you are interested in donating to the Ferguson Municipal Public Library, visit their website!
Hi Olivia, thank you for such a heartwarming blog this week! I just posted my weekly blog on X's privacy settings and the lack of language and clarity around its collection of biometric and personal data of its users, so it was incredibly nice to read that out of such a harrowing story and not uncommon story found within the pages of American history, that a local community and even nation came together to fund and to support Ferguson's students and in turn their local library, in a time of such upheaval. I think this blog also reminds me of the significance of "activation" social media can offer in response to a traumatic event, and how it often unites people together towards a clear goal. This is an equally helpful reminder of how important it is for us librarians to translate the consequences a loss of library funds nationally towards uniting communities towards supporting their local libraries and coming together and finding a "safe space" to equally support children and teens (and adults) as more and more communities become targeted. Thanks for the share!
ReplyDeleteHI Olivia, thanks for sharing this! It's so nice and hopeful to see a library using social media for good. I'm so used to seeing social media being used for disinformation/misinformation so it's refreshing to see it being used to inform, help, and reach people when they need it most. This is a great example of how you can connect with a community in times of hardship and actually put your philosophy to the test. Many libraries brand themselves as safe places open for everyone, and it's nice to see a library proving that!
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