Join Elyria Public Library and the other public libraries in Lorain County as we host Lorain County Reads featuring author Eric Klinenberg and his book Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.
Date: Thursday, September 25 at 6 - 8 p.m.
Location: Elyria Performing Arts Center | 600 West Ave. in Elyria
Lorain County Reads is a collaboration between the public libraries in Lorain County, including Amherst Public Library, Avon Lake Public Library, Elyria Public Library, Grafton-Midview Public Library, Herrick Memorial Library, Lorain Public Library, Oberlin Public Library, and Ritter Public Library. This year's event also includes partners: Community Foundation of Lorain County and Lorain County Metro Parks.
About the Author: Author of Palaces for the People | NYU Professor of Sociology | Expert on Social Infrastructure and Community Resilience
Eric Klinenberg is a renowned sociologist and professor at New York University, best known for his work on social infrastructure and its critical role in fostering community resilience. As the author of Palaces for the People, Eric explores how libraries, parks, and other public spaces help communities thrive, especially in the face of crises such as climate change and inequality. His research focuses on how strong social infrastructure can reduce isolation and build stronger, more connected societies.
About the Book: Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life
We are living in a time of deep divisions. Americans are sorting themselves along racial, religious, and cultural lines, leading to a level of polarization that the country hasn’t seen since the Civil War. Pundits and politicians are calling for us to come together and find common purpose. But how, exactly, can this be done?
In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg suggests a way forward. He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, and parks where crucial connections are formed. Interweaving his own research with examples from around the globe, Klinenberg shows how “social infrastructure” is helping to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges. Richly reported and ultimately uplifting, Palaces for the People offers a blueprint for bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides.