Neighbourhood Houses Victoria has released an insightful report, Safe and Welcoming Community Spaces, based on research support by the Victorian government’s Department of Health.
The aim was to identify and understand the elements that make community spaces safe and welcoming, including for individuals with experience of social isolation and/or loneliness. The research focused on the built environment, staff behaviours, inclusivity practices, and barriers to access.
A number of the findings are relevant to public libraries, including recommendations to:
- Prioritise a warm welcome: Configure entry areas to enable immediate human connection. Remove physical or procedural barriers that may inhibit engagement
- ‘Bring the inside out’: especially if visibility into the space is limited, use external symbols–such as rainbow flags, multilingual signage and community artwork–to signal inclusivity and activity.
- Maintain dynamic noticeboards: a regularly updated noticeboard near the entrance provides a low-pressure way for visitors to acclimatise and learn about offerings.
There are interesting findings in relation to the needs of specific cohorts, including people from LGBTIQ+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people with lived experience of loneliness and/or social isolation.