Dear friends,
Slow down. Come together.
This is my new mantra for the fall. Navigating a tsunami of information mixed with noise and chaos feels like a full-time job these days. We at the Library are in the business of quality information delivery. That's what our new civic conversation series is all about.
Public Square is the brainchild of two generous supporters, Porter Durham and Patty Morton. They reached out to the Library Foundation with the desire to create a place where constructive dialogue is defined by civility and a broad lens, where both sides of an issue can be discussed, deconstructed, and investigated.
It's no small feat. In a world of sound bites and rage baiting, bringing together two people from opposite sides of an issue sounds like a recipe for disaster. In fact, it's what our country was built on: disagreeing but moving toward a more perfect union. We're putting the emphasis on "union."
I hope you will join me and our partners, Elon University School of Law, Foundation for the Carolinas, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and WFAE, on October 29 as we launch Public Square, a civic conversation series created to bring notable voices to Charlotte for informative and engaging discussion about issues shaping American life.
Our inaugural theme is "Freedom and Responsibility: What We Owe Each Other" with moderator Carol Quillen and speakers John Hood and Melissa Murray. To learn more about our theme and speakers, visit our website.
And no worries if you can't make our first event. We are already planning our upcoming Public Square events for spring and fall 2027.
Tickets are on sale here. Join us as we strengthen the civic fabric of our community together through respectful conversations that foster learning, understanding, and engagement.
Cordially yours,
Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director
Image: L to R, Carol Quillen, John Hood and Melissa Murray