Please join Frances Loeb Library for a

Faculty Colloquium

Reimagining Libraries as Public Space: Design, Access, and Democracy

Please join us for conversation with Shamichael Hallman, author of Meet Me at the Library

With Diane Davis, Eric Howeler, and Ann Whiteside

Shamichael Hallman is a civic innovator, author, and thought leader dedicated to strengthening communities through libraries, public engagement, and faith-based initiatives. As Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council, he advocates for public libraries as vital civic infrastructure. His book, Meet Me at the Library, explores how libraries foster democracy and bridge-building. A sought-after speaker, Shamichael has presented at top universities and library associations, with hisinsights featured by Sightline Institute, America Trends Podcast, and Jefferson Public Radio.He is the co-creator of the Bridge-Building Resource Hub, a national initiative hosted by WebJunction that equips libraries with tools to foster community connections. The initiative recently secured asecond round of funding to expand its impact and continue its work. Previously, Shamichael championed the multi-million-dollar renovation of the historic Cossitt Library in Memphis, contributing toMemphis Public Libraries earning the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Science. Holding a master's in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a 2023 Loeb Fellowship, hecontinues to innovate at the intersection of community, faith, and democracy.

Eric Howeler, FAIA, LEED AP, is an architect, designer, and educator. He is co-founding partner of Howeler + Yoon and Professor in Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School ofDesign, where he is the Program Director for the Masters of Architecture Program. Howeler's design work and research focuses on building technology integration and material systems. His projectsrange from cultural buildings and mixed-use residential buildings, to public spaces and interactive environments. Recently completed projects include the MIT Museum at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre expansion. Howeler's work has been exhibited widely, including at the Museum ofModern Art, the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City, and the Venice Biennale. He is the co-author of Expanded Practice (Princeton Architectural Press 2009), Verify InField: Projects and Conversations Howeler + Yoon (Park Books, 2021), and author of the forthcoming Design for Construction: The Tectonic Imagination in Contemporary Architecture (Routledge 2025).

Diane E. Davis is the Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism at Harvard's Graduate School of Design (GSD) and Domain Head of the Publics track in the Master of Design Studies Program (MDes). Trained as a social scientist, Davis's research focus is urban governance, with a special interest in how citizens make claims in order to make cities just and inclusive. In2023 Davis was named a CIFAR Fellow and Co-Director of its Humanity's Urban Future program.