CURRENT POSITION Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity, Urban Libraries Council, Washington, DC DEGREE Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership, University of Pennsylvania, 2021 FAST FACT Hallman spent a week in Tunisia exploring how planners and designers were transforming the historic Medina of Tunis to create more welcoming and inclusive spaces for everyone. FOLLOW bit.ly/TheLoebFellowship_ShamichaelHallman; linkedin.com/in/shamichael Photo by Antoine Lever Photography

The Accidental Librarian

He calls himself an “accidental librarian,” but little of Shamichael Hallman’s work is done without intention. He began his career in ministry and found his way into libraries after discovering the fields had a great deal of overlap. While Senior Library Manager of Memphis Public Libraries’ Cossitt Library, he oversaw a significant building renovation that expanded his thinking about the opportunities public spaces provide in fostering civic engagement. 

Inspired by the work of an organization called Citizen University, Hallman began hosting “Civic Saturday” events in Memphis in 2019. He discovered that people were hungry for the chance to connect with one another through art, food, music, and culture. The success of the events led Hallman to dig deeper into a burning question: What is the role of public space in a society that’s increasingly isolated, fragmented, and polarized? 

In a yearlong fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Hallman honed his answer into a call for reimagining public libraries as vital community connectors that introduce people to new perspectives, ideas, and opportunities. He shares his concept of “libraries as bridges” in a popular TEDxMemphis Talk and in his 2024 book, Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy. “The work that libraries are doing in providing space for people to just be able to show up is core to democracy,” he says. 

Now as Director of Civic Health and Economic Opportunity at the Urban Libraries Council, Hallman’s work supports libraries in building trust, forging social connections, and cultivating inclusivity within their own communities.