Reviving a community's adult education past: A case study of the library's role in learning

Amidst calls for libraries to regain their socially progressive roots and connections to community, this study analyzes two interwoven cases of nonformal, community education in northeastern Nova Scotia, initiated by libraries that aimed to revive those links. Through a reading circle and a people's school, librarians used historical materials on the Antigonish Movement of that area to help people not only understand their social movement past but also critique what was missing and apply the principles to contemporary problems. The study explored the interplay between identity, locality, and history, as well as the library's role and what could be learned from the activities. This study makes a contribution to adult education in, through, and with libraries in what is currently an underresearched area.