Legitimation trumps public librarianship's historic commitments and social purpose

Purpose This conceptual article explores the thesis that the public library's current expansion into social service provision, while entirely consistent with its historic function as a state institution, raises serious questions about the health of public librarianship as a professional practice. An alternative model is then presented that leans into the institution's traditional enlightenment function, specifically as it is emerging in Nordic countries. Design/methodology/approach To this end, a political economy lens is focused on professional and scholarly texts to demonstrate the explanatory potential of James O'Connor's theory of the dual role of the state within capitalism for questions of relevance to the profession. Findings Mapping the American public library's evolution from industrialization provides evidence of the ways in which the public library has historically served the state and how its current transformation into a community hub continues that tradition. However, this transformation challenges the legitimacy of the public library as a site of professional library work. Alternatively, new service models are being developed in Nordic countries that serve to uphold professional legitimacy and the library's historic social purpose. Research limitations/implications American public library history is the focus; however, the analysis includes an overview of conditions in Nordic countries. Practical implications This article periscopes up to provide scholars and practitioners with a wider view of the transformation of the 21st-century American public library. This allows for alternative conversations to develop regarding the meaning of social change and the place for traditional library practices and values therein, as modelled by Nordic countries. Originality/value This article represents an original thesis that holds that the transformation of the public library into its current manifestation as a community hub, while historically consistent and responsive to community needs, also presents a serious problem for public librarianship as a professional practice.