About Eric Klinenberg
Eric Klinenberg is Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University.
His researches have drawn attention to the need, especially in modern society, to nurture social infrastructure. With the term “social infrastructure”, he refers to places and institutions that promote communication and by so doing, have a formative effect on people's relations. With this in mind, in his book, Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life, he identifies libraries as one of the most important institutions of modern society. The book has had a great impact on how public spaces are viewed and encouraged librarians on pointing out the importance of the public library as a social platform.
A part of the aforementioned title, Klinenberg has published several books, both alone and as a co-author and his writings, based on quality research, has appeared in a number of professional journals. He is currently working on a new book, due in February 2024.
Eric's keynote is on Thursday, October 20th at 10 am - 11:00 am