What if libraries were also radio stations?
Libraries are amazing places. Whether you’re a parent with small children, a student, pensioner, or someone just looking for a quiet place to sit, libraries represent one of the few remaining spaces people from all parts of a community are welcome — with no expectation to spend money or buy anything.
Shifting focus a moment, a recent EU report highlighted that Ireland faces a growing crisis of loneliness, with 20% of Irish people reporting feeling lonely most or all of the time — significantly higher than the European average. Shifting focus again, another report (this time from JNLR/Ipsos) found that radio in Ireland is enjoying its highest ever audience with 90% of all adults tuning in every week.
In this, the first of our new monthly(ish) WOVE’S WHAT IF series, we wanted to explore the potential around this intersection — libraries as inclusive community spaces and radio as a trusted social connector—in alleviating loneliness and sparking more community connections. Read on to digest our speculative idea — we’d love to hear your thoughts, challenges or additions below.
The shifting role of libraries
Over the past two decades, the dawn of the Internet — with Wikipedia, YouTube, Google Search, etc—has challenged traditional ideas around what a library is, and who it is for. Where once they were thought of as quiet places for study and knowledge, many libraries have evolved to also offer space, equipment and support, helping people learn new skills and connect with others in their community.
Some libraries have gone even further in really interesting ways. For example at the Library of Things in the UK, members can borrow household items from power tools to pasta makers, reducing waste and creating new community connections in the process. Closer to home, Dublin City libraries offer free light therapy boxes for those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. While in the US (and this is our favourite), some very open-minded librarians invite the community in to design and build crazy golf courses from books. Far from shussssh filled book repositories, libraries today are evolving in highly creative ways to meet the changing needs of their communities.
Loneliness and social connection
Stepping away from libraries for a moment, a recent European Commission report found that 20% of Irish people report feeling lonely most or all the time, compared to European average of 13%. For a country with a warm and friendly reputation, this statistic feels jarring. Nonetheless, loneliness and social isolation are serious issues that can have damaging impacts on people and communities.
Another recent study (rom JNLR/Ipsos) found that radio in Ireland is enjoying its highest ever audience. Despite tough competition from screens and devices, a staggering 90% of all adults listen to radio every week. Even among the Spotify generation — 15 to 34-year-olds — nearly seven out of ten listen to the radio every weekday. Listening levels to local and regional radio are also very strong, with over 40% of all adults connecting to their local or regional station each weekday.
These figures are pretty amazing. Despite streaming services, podcasts, and algorithm-fed news feeds, radio still feels like it’s deeply woven into Irish daily life, perhaps offering a sense of familiarity, trust and human connection.
Library + Radio = Opportunity?
All these stats and figures got us wondering whether the combined power of libraries and radio might have a bigger role to play in building connection, trust and cohesion across local communities. So without further ado, let us map out our provotype proposal: Library Radio 📻.
(A provotype is a provocative prototype. It’s less a fully worked out proposal and more a bold idea created to provoke imagination and discussion around possible futures. More on this later.)
How could this work?
Broadcasting live from in and around the library, each station could run a full schedule of community-focused programming throughout the day — from local news, book groups and storytelling to interviews, music, workshops and conversations led by and for the people who live nearby.
While not every show would become a headline event, the physical presence of the broadcast would add something new to the everyday life of the library: live discussions unfolding quietly at the back of the room, local music sets drawing small crowds, or simply the gentle sound of library-made radio inviting passersby in from the street. Library Radio wouldn’t set out to disrupt the calm, welcoming atmosphere of a library — just add another social layer to it.
Shown above are some reference projects that illustrate how Library Radio might work. NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series has become a cultural phenomenon, inviting musicians to play live sets from NPR’s office. While Radiações in Chile, is a nomadic radio station that travels around the city of Valparaíso, engaging locals in discussion.
A flexible, touring schedule
People tend to be fiercely loyal to their radio shows and stations, so rather than competing with existing programming, Library Radio could offer different ways for existing stations and shows to collaborate. For example libraries could provide the space and setup for both established broadcasters and new voices to broadcast content and connect to communities. Local digital stations — like Dublin Digital Radio or éist in Cork — might choose to host special shows from different library branches, while public service broadcasters such as RTÉ or Lyric FM (or indeed chart topping podcasts) could use the same setup to air their live programmes—bringing diverse conversations directly into local spaces.
Outside of these partnerships, community members could take the lead, using the station to share hyperlocal news, interviews, music and stories that reflect the character of their own neighbourhoods. Over time, libraries could sync their programming for particular national or international shows, while still reserving space for locally made content. The result would be a flexible and flowing mix of global, national and community voices — all anchored in a place people can visit and connect around common interests.
Inviting more people in
At its heart, Library Radio is about bringing together two public resources that already hold deep trust. Both are built on the idea of public access — places where knowledge, conversation and culture are shared freely, without the expectation of payment (well, except maybe ads on the radio).
In a time when more and more of our daily lives are shaped by algorithms and big tech platforms, libraries and radio offer something different: a welcoming human voice, local knowledge and a reminder that we are part of a community. Rather than replacing the calm, welcoming atmosphere of a library, Library Radio could offer another way for people to stay connected — especially those feeling isolated or overlooked.
Is this Desirable? Feasible? Viable?
As we mentioned, Library Radio is a provotype— a speculative idea to prompt discussion and collective imagination. It might turn out to be unworkable, or simply not the right fit for people's lives. That’s what we’re keen to dig into and explore: What if libraries were also radio stations?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions or challenges on how this idea could be shaped, reshaped or even replaced.
