We Don’t Have to Be Neutral – But We Must Be Democratic!

What kinds of democratic challenges can arise in libraries and other third places? And how should we respond to them?

At a breakout session during the Next Library Festival, held at Dokk1 in Aarhus on June 27th three members of the Third Places Network (Life Hamburg, KörberHaus Hamburg and Dokk1) invited participants to explore these questions through a panel format. A group of three professionals—selected from the audience—were presented with dilemmas “based on true stories” and asked to reflect on how they would act in each situation. As the dilemmas changed, so did the panel, ensuring a diversity of perspectives. The audience was encouraged to practice a key democratic skill: active listening.

The dilemmas were prepared in advance and covered themes such as: how to handle very engaged citizens, partnerships with powerful (capital) actors, ideology disguised as science, and how to respond when citizens oppose certain literature.

Some panel responses offered valuable insights into the different challenges and opportunities that arise depending on national context. Others highlighted the many ways democracy can be practiced—shaped by culture, tradition, and local norms.

One dilemma focused on the boundaries of civic engagement, and the distinction between mere provocation and outright illegal acts. One should expect to be challenged or even provoked in our shared spaces. But when individuals or speakers require police protection, a line has been crossed.

So how do we create space for active democratic citizenship? A good start is to stop claiming neutrality—and instead embrace our role as democratic spaces, where dialogue, disagreement, and participation are not only allowed but encouraged.

Captured moments from our session