University of the People: A Perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter focuses on the roles of the library as a center of self-education and information access in promoting equity in society.

Methodology/approach

Based on the author’s experiences as an academic library director, this chapter presents reflections on the concept of the library, its development, and its contributions.

Findings

This chapter argues that libraries are institutions of equity, serving as a special kind of university that is “of and for the people.”

Citation

Battle, T. (2016), "University of the People: A Perspective", Celebrating the James Partridge Award: Essays Toward the Development of a More Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Field of Library and Information Science (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 42), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 89-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020160000042009