Two interesting articles about the unique role that public libraries serve in their communities are highlighted in the April 2015 Western City magazine. League of California Cities president Stephany Aguilar and California State Librarian Greg Lucas write about the role libraries can have as new type of town square, where people of all ages and backgrounds come to seek help. Aguilar references a 2011 ICMA report on the ways the public libraries address community priorities and Lucas, formerly a political reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, provides examples of innovative services from libraries he has recently visited in his new role as state librarian. Links to these articles are below:

Aguilar, S. (2015, April). Beyond Books: Leveraging Resources for Library Programs. Western City.

Lucas, G. (2015, April). How Libraries Build Community. Western City.