From: City Council
To: Mary Gourley
Cc: Oriana Hart; Erik Billing; Torran Korman; Elissa Overton; Ana Kwong Subject: FW: Public Comment: Agenda Item 14, Sept. 15 City Council Meeting Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026 8:39:07 PM
Attachments: the commons research.html
the commons research.pdf
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Mary Gourley
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From: Christine Koenig
Sent: Sunday, September 13, 2026 12:54 PM
To: info <[email protected]>
Cc: Mary Gourley <[email protected]>
Subject: Public Comment: Agenda Item 14, Sept. 15 City Council Meeting Dear Honorable Mayor McLewis and Councilmembers:
My name is Christine Koenig, and I'm writing in support of Agenda Item 14 and The Commons concept at the Gravenstein Highway North campus.
I’m a journalist and communications specialist who enjoys researching topics I am passionate about and want to support. I've gathered information on small towns that have successfully built shared spaces like this — combining a library, senior center, and community programs under one roof.
For example, about an hour away, Middletown, in Lake County, also created a combined library and senior center that they’ve found to be highly successful for public engagement and critical emergency resilience.
Nationally, the data backs up what the Sebastopol Commons Committee found:
libraries and community hubs routinely return $2 to $10 for every dollar invested, and communities with stronger social ties see measurably less crime — one study found a 21% drop in murders and a 20% drop in vehicle theft tied to higher social connectedness.
The U.S. Surgeon General has called our loneliness epidemic a public health crisis on par with smoking, and spaces exactly like this one are the recommended remedy.
A concept that is small but genuinely well-supported by data is a ping pong or game room. Research shows it's one of the most effective low-barrier ways to bring generations together — no special skill required, no physical contact, and adaptable pace, so a teenager and a senior can play the same table.
A 2018 University of Leeds study even found regular group table tennis significantly lowered loneliness in older adults. In 2000, when I was a writer at the Chicago Tribune, the City set up between 300 and 500 free public ping-pong tables in outdoor plazas, parks, and office lobbies across the city. It was successful in breaking down social barriers because people who never knew each other could play together in public spaces.
The Commons is a chance to build something here that pays for itself economically while directly addressing loneliness, safety, and connection here in Sebastopol. I urge the Council to move forward on this site. Thank you.
Christine Koenig
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] RESEARCH REFERENCE · THE COMMONS, SEBASTOPOL CA
Small towns that built a commons, and the case for
doing it
A working reference of comparable projects and program ideas, plus the supporting research behind them — specifically how shared community spaces build intergenerational connection, respond to the national loneliness epidemic, reduce crime, and strengthen local economies. Sources are linked and written out for further reading.
Towns that built a commons
Case studies of libraries, senior centers, and community spaces brought together under one roof.
CA
Middletown, Lake County
Built a combined library and senior center in one 12,377 sq ft facility, funded through USDA Rural Development and county support. The closest geographic and scale comparison to Sebastopol.
Read the funding announcement↗
https://mikethompson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-mike-thompson-announces-50000-federal-funding-lake-cou nty-library-and
MA
Randolph
Rebuilt its senior center into an intergenerational community center — basketball courts, fitness studios, and a teaching kitchen alongside senior programming, drawing residents of every age.
See the project↗
https://bhplus.com/our-work/recreation-community-centers/intergenerational-community-center AZ
Page
A nine-person library staff became the town's default front door for almost everything — senior programming, job fairs, health outreach — earning "Best Small Library in America," 2023.
Read the story↗
https://www.crh.arizona.edu/news/arizona-librarians-enhancing-resilient-rural-communities-grantee-wins-national-h onor
NM
Embudo Valley (Dixon)
Grew from a rented room with two volunteer librarians into a 1.5-acre campus with a library, community center, orchard, park, and co-op grocery — built incrementally over three decades.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Learn more↗
https://www.idealist.org/pt/ong/82ddd35ed93d488ea02340c51bac0c7d-embudo-valley-library-and-community-center-dixon US
Reimagining the Civic Commons
National initiative (Akron, Lexington, Macon, Detroit, Memphis, and others) connecting libraries, parks, and community centers, with six years of published metrics and planning toolkits.
See the metrics reports↗
https://civiccommons.us/2024/10/final-metrics-reports/
NJ
North Bergen
Library and Parks & Recreation leadership designed one shared building rather than two separate ones, including a teen makerspace open on community-center hours instead of library hours.
Read the case study↗
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/From-Co-location-to-Blended-Facilities NY
Forest Hills Community Center, Queens
One building flips roles through the day: senior center in the morning, after-school program in the afternoon, teen center in the evening — over 500 neighbors pass through daily.
Learn more↗
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
The case for investing in shared space
Findings on how community-building spaces affect safety, civic growth, and local economies.
SAFETY
Community-designed environmental improvements were linked to measurable drops in violent and firearm crime across 505 street segments in Flint, MI.
Source ↗
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12404146/
Communities that invested more in social infrastructure like libraries recovered faster from disasters than those relying mainly on physical infrastructure like seawalls.
Source ↗
https://medium.com/reimagining-the-civic-commons/in-times-of-disaster-its-our-social-infrastructure-that-wil l-save-us-41daffb3bd52
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM]
GROWTH & CIVIC LIFE
Rural school districts with library investment showed improved standardized test performance compared to districts without it.
Source ↗
https://rurallibraries.org/research-policy-brief/
Library capital spending can produce broad, positive effects on student outcomes — often at lower cost than comparable school facility investment.
Source ↗
https://www.chicagofed.org/~/media/publications/working-papers/2021/wp2021-06-pdf.pdf Across six years, Civic Commons sites saw increased cross-income and cross-race social connection and rising public support for shared spaces.
Source ↗
https://civiccommons.us/2024/10/final-metrics-reports/
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Texas public libraries returned $4.64 in economic benefit for every $1 invested statewide in FY2015.
Source ↗
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/roi
Nine public library systems in southwestern Ohio generated economic impact nearly four times what was invested in their operations.
Source ↗
https://icma.org/sites/default/files/100005_ROI-public%20library.pdf A statewide California study found libraries return between $2 and $10 for every $1 invested, with most falling between $3 and $6.
Source ↗
https://library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Value-of-Libraries-Economic-Engine.pdf Nearby restaurants, retail, and services see an estimated 23% "halo" increase in spending from library visitors passing through.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Source ↗
https://library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Value-of-Libraries-Economic-Engine.pdf Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library system was estimated to generate over $91 million in combined economic output and sustain more than 700 jobs.
Source ↗
https://www.urbanlibraries.org/assets/MakingCitiesStronger_Full_Report.pdf Location-analytics research shows libraries act as steady daytime foot-traffic drivers that downtown business districts can build activation plans around.
Source ↗
https://www.urbanlibraries.org/blog/how-library-visits-create-daytime-foot-traffic-and-promote-economic-vita lity-in-downtowns-a-case-study
During the 2008 downturn, over 30 million people used library computers to search for work, and 3.7 million reported finding a job as a result.
Source ↗
https://library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Value-of-Libraries-Economic-Engine.pdf What other communities added to their commons
Programs, partner organizations, and recurring events that other towns layered into a shared library / senior-center / community space once it existed.
WORKFORCE & SMALL BUSINESS
Turns the space into a resource for job seekers and entrepreneurs, not just a reading room.
One-to-one career & business consultations
Santa Barbara Public Library's "SBPL Works!" offers résumé help, interview practice, and bilingual job-seeker support directly out of the library — later expanded to disaster recovery assistance.
Source
https://library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Value-of-Libraries-Economic-Engine.pdf Business incubation resources & coworking
The Urban Libraries Council's Business Value Calculator helps libraries track how coworking space, market-data access, and small-business workshops translate into new and strengthened local businesses.
Source
https://www.urbanlibraries.org/blog/how-library-visits-create-daytime-foot-traffic-and-promote-economic-vitality -in-downtowns-a-case-study
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM]
MAKER & CREATIVE SPACE
Shared tools and equipment that would be too costly for any one household or nonprofit to own alone.
Makerspace with 3D printers & laser cutter
Redwood City, CA built a library makerspace funded jointly by city capital funds and its library foundation, running teen STEAM workshops, adult drop-in hours, and community-partner classes.
Source
https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/library/rcpl-info/makerspace Tool-lending library
The Chicago Tool Library loans power tools, masonry, and woodworking equipment on a pay-what-you-can basis, growing to roughly 6,000 members and outgrowing its original space.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tool_Library
Shared teen makerspace
North Bergen, NJ designed a makerspace jointly with Parks & Recreation, keeping it open on community-center hours (longer than standard library hours) so teens always have access.
Source
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/From-Co-location-to-Blended-Facilities
HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
Brings services to where people already gather, lowering the barrier to using them.
On-site mental health counseling & food banks
Architecture firm HBM has designed library-anchored facilities that include space for social-service partners such as mental health counseling and food banks, alongside a cultural arts center in Maitland, FL.
Source
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/community-building-for-modern-libraries-bringing-people-together-is-fundame ntal-lj231017
Blood drives & senior wellness classes
San Bernardino, CA schedules recurring senior fitness classes, music-appreciation clubs, and bingo at its senior centers, plus periodic community blood drives — a simple recurring-calendar model.
Source
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-sun-san-bernardino/20240105/281775633990788
MARKETS & GATHERINGS
Recurring, low-cost events that give people a reason to return to the space every week.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Farmers market partnership
The Peabody Institute Library in Massachusetts partnered with local businesses and growers to help pioneer a farmers' market, pairing library foot traffic with fresh, local food access.
Source
https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-23-reasons-why-your-library-is-the-most-important-p lace-in-town/
Storytime at the farmers market, concerts, movie nights Small towns across Minnesota, Oregon, and California regularly pair library storytimes with farmers markets, and host outdoor concert series and movie nights on library or community-center grounds.
Source
https://www.hometownsource.com/county_news_review/county_news_review/free/local-community-events-calendar/articl e_06ee18e2-be24-4fc6-96d7-171be034c7dd.html
Community gardens & food-box programs
Queens Community House runs a community-run farmers market, a food box program, and communal cooking-andeating events out of its neighborhood community centers.
Source
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
CIVIC & LIFELONG LEARNING
Keeps the building useful to residents who aren't there to borrow a book.
ESL classes, tech literacy, and teen programs
San Bernardino Public Library runs English-as-a-Second-Language classes and after-school teen programs, while St.
Helena, CA offers basic computer and internet literacy classes for adults.
Source
https://napavalleyregister.com/star/lifestyles/st-helena-events-entertainment-calendar/article_29b223d2-bf34-4e3 4-9e1e-42e3273dc75d.html
Multi-use daily schedule
Forest Hills Community Center in Queens runs as a senior center each morning, an after-school site each afternoon, and a teen center each evening — one building, three communities served.
Source
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
Other ways a commons can generate revenue
Beyond the library itself — how similar shared spaces fund their own upkeep once built.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM]
SPACE & MEMBERSHIP INCOME
The most common revenue base, and usually the easiest to start with.
Room and venue rental
A UK study of community hubs found that as hubs grow past micro-scale, building-rental income becomes a core part of the budget, and the largest hubs draw over 40% of revenue from service contracts, fees, and retail sales rather than grants alone.
Source
https://localtrust.org.uk/news-and-blogs/blog/community-hubs-the-importance-of-developing-a-sustainable-business -model/
Weddings and private events
Community centers nationwide routinely rent halls for weddings, receptions, and celebrations of life — a low-overhead revenue stream requiring only a booking system and rate card, not new staff.
Source
https://www.wedding-spot.com/wedding-venues/community-center-weddings/washington/seattle/ Coworking desks & makerspace memberships
Redwood City's library makerspace blends free public drop-in hours with paid memberships and equipment-use fees for heavier users, funded jointly by city capital funds and its library foundation.
Source
https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/library/rcpl-info/makerspace
RESIDENT BUSINESSES
Bringing in a mission-aligned tenant that pays rent and draws its own foot traffic.
Cooperatively-owned café & music venue
The New Deal Café in Greenbelt, MD operates inside the town's historic community center as a consumer cooperative owned by 200+ member-patrons — a restaurant, coffeehouse, and live music venue that generates its own revenue while functioning as a genuine gathering place.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal_Cafe
Shared commercial kitchen
Shared kitchens can generate revenue well beyond basic rental — membership fees, hosting farmers markets and popups, culinary classes, and food-safety certification training — while still serving a community-access mission.
Source
https://www.thefoodcorridor.com/toolkit-guide/community-programming-and-services/
EVENTS & VENDOR FEES
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Stacks on top of the "halo spending" effect covered earlier — foot traffic that benefits the whole building.
Farmers market vendor stall fees
A market hosted on-site can charge vendors stall fees directly, while the foot traffic it draws also boosts spending at any café, retail, or rental tenants already in the building.
Source
https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-23-reasons-why-your-library-is-the-most-important-p lace-in-town/
Intergenerational activities beyond reading groups
Formats other communities have used to connect seniors and young people, with documented outcomes.
CO-LOCATED CARE — THE MOST-STUDIED MODEL
Puts childcare and senior care in the same building rather than pairing them for occasional visits.
Preschool inside a senior-living community
Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle houses a full preschool inside its senior-living community. Five days a week, children and roughly 400 older residents share music, dance, art, lunch, storytelling, and joint community service like packing lunches for people experiencing homelessness — well-documented enough to be the subject of the acclaimed documentary Present Perfect.
Source
https://www.providence.org/locations/wa/mount-st-vincent/facility-profile/intergenerational-learning-center REVERSE MENTORING — TEENS TEACHING SENIORS TECH
One of the most common and effective intergenerational formats currently in use.
Peer-to-peer tech support
Tech Buddies, a student-led nonprofit, has provided free one-on-one tech support to more than 2,500 seniors; organizers report the sessions routinely turn into genuine friendships rather than one-off tutoring.
Source
https://www.channelkindness.org/tech-buddies/
Measured confidence & connection gains
An evaluation of a similar digital-literacy campaign found over 80% of participating seniors felt more comfortable with technology afterward, and 70% reported feeling closer to their grandchildren as a result.
Source
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/1155846
Structured multi-week tech coaching
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Michigan's Digital Connecting Corps pairs college-age "tech coaches" with older adults at senior centers over 9–12 week courses and distributes refurbished laptops — 96% of participants who requested a device received it along with training.
Source
https://ginsberg.umich.edu/article/digital-connecting-corps-building DIGITAL LITERACY — WITH A REAL ECONOMIC PAYOFF
Beyond social connection, pairing generations around technology has a documented economic angle on both sides of the table.
Seniors' income rises with digital engagement
A 2026 study found digital engagement significantly increases income among older adults, working through four pathways — employment, material capital, social capital, and human capital — with the employment pathway alone accounting for roughly a third of the total effect.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/6/2913
Digital literacy boosts local consumer spending
Research on the "longevity economy" found that digital literacy among older residents reduces precautionary saving and increases consumption spending — a direct contributor to local economic activity rather than just an individual quality-of-life gain.
Source
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-06175-y
Paid youth work built into the model
Los Angeles's Bridge The Digital Divide pairs older adults with a Youth Digital Navigator program that provides paid work experience for young people alongside their volunteer mentorship — making the intergenerational pairing an income source for youth, not just a service to seniors.
Source
https://la2050.org/blog/bridge-the-digital-divide-intergenerational-tech-ed A path back into the workforce
GetSetUp, a digital learning platform for older adults, hosted more than 233,000 classes on finance and employment in 2023 alone, often delivered through library and nonprofit partnerships, helping older adults re-enter the workforce with career, CV, and software skills.
Source
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/older-adults-workforce-innovation-digital-economy/
SHARED PROJECTS
Working side by side toward something tangible tends to build deeper connection than a scheduled visit.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Intergenerational gardening
The Imperial Beach Intergenerational Community Garden in California pairs seniors and youth to garden together; a similar Austin-based program pairs the two groups specifically around food justice, nutrition, and financial literacy, with produce often returning to shared community meals.
Source
https://www.community-gardening.org/intergenerational-gardening-programs/ Multigenerational choirs & music programs
Several senior communities host recurring choirs or joint music programs with local schools that evolve into standing community fixtures performing at town events, rather than one-off visits.
Source
https://www.onwardlivinghq.com/1548/intergenerational-activities-for-seniors-and-youth/ Structured mentorship pairing
Beyond informal interaction, formal mentoring relationships between teens and adults are linked in youth-mentoring research to meaningfully lower rates of substance use and school truancy — worth considering for a more intentional pairing program alongside drop-in intergenerational time.
Source
https://beachwood.roseseniorliving.com/the-importance-of-intergenerational-activities-in-seniors/ The loneliness backdrop — and could a ping pong room help? Why low-barrier, drop-in spaces matter right now, and what the research says about table tennis specifically as an intergenerational activity.
THE NATIONAL PICTURE
Context from the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 Advisory on the healing effects of social connection.
Roughly half of U.S. adults report loneliness
In recent years, about one in two American adults has reported experiencing loneliness, with young adults among the hardest hit — and rates were already climbing before the pandemic widened the gap further.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf A health risk on par with smoking
Lacking social connection raises the risk of premature death about as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, with loneliness and isolation independently raising mortality risk by 26% and 29% respectively.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Weak local ties, even among neighbors
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] As of 2018, only 16% of Americans said they felt very attached to their local community, and only about 3 in 10 report knowing all or most of their neighbors — a gap that shared, low-barrier gathering spaces are well positioned to close.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Connected communities are measurably safer and stronger A one standard-deviation increase in social connectedness was associated with a 21% reduction in murders and a 20% reduction in motor vehicle thefts; separately, the U.S. cities with the strongest resident attachment saw the greatest GDP growth over a three-year study period.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT PING PONG SPECIFICALLY
Chicago set up roughly 300 free public tables around the city in 2000 as a low-cost way to activate public space — a fun precedent, though not one that was formally studied for social outcomes. The research below looks at table tennis itself as a health and connection tool.
Lower loneliness among seniors who play
A 2018 University of Leeds study found that older adults who played regular group table tennis reported significantly lower loneliness and higher life satisfaction — directly relevant to a senior-center pairing.
Source
https://sanweisport.com/en/5-scientific-benefits-of-playing-ping-pong-backed-by-real-studies/ Studied across every age group, in social settings
A 2026 scoping review in Frontiers/MDPI examined 17 studies from 2010–2025 and found table tennis has been studied as a health-and-wellbeing tool across children, adolescents, older adults, and people with conditions like ADHD or Parkinson's — delivered specifically in community and social settings, not just competitive ones.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/14/2/63
Low-barrier by design
Research reviews note table tennis requires no expensive equipment or physical contact, and its pace can be adapted for players of any age or skill level — exactly what makes it viable as a genuine intergenerational activity rather than a youth-only or senior-only one.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/2/3/107
Benefits on the youth side too
A 2024 narrative review found table tennis training positively affected executive function, motor skills, coordination, and social behavior in children and adolescents.
Source
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11353217/
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] One table, very different populations
A dedicated nonprofit, PingPongParkinson, is built entirely around table tennis for people managing Parkinson's disease — a real-world example of how a single table can serve very different populations in the same room.
Source
https://www.pingpongparkinson.org/why-ping-pong
How a successful commons pays for itself over time
The research above doesn't just support each piece in isolation — it describes a self-reinforcing cycle. A well-used commons drives economic activity, which helps residents put down roots, which strengthens the tax base, which funds the next round of investment in the commons itself.
1 · INVEST Build the Commons Library + senior center + shared space 2 · GROW Economic Activity Rises Foot traffic, local spending, jobs 3 · RETAIN Residents Stay Engaged Social ties, lower turnover, civic pride 4 · REINVEST Tax Base Strengthens Property values, revenue, next investment THE
COMMONS FLYWHEEL
RESEARCH BEHIND EACH STAGE OF THE LOOP
Invest → Grow
Library visitors generate an estimated 23% "halo" increase in spending at nearby businesses, and California libraries return $2–$10 in economic benefit for every $1 invested.
Source
https://library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Value-of-Libraries-Economic-Engine.pdf Grow → Retain
Across six years, Reimagining the Civic Commons sites saw rising cross-income and cross-race social connection and increasing public support for shared spaces — the pattern of residents staying invested in a place once it's working for them.
Source
https://civiccommons.us/2024/10/final-metrics-reports/
Retain → Reinvest
A three-year study of 26 U.S. cities found that the cities with the highest levels of resident attachment experienced the greatest GDP growth over the study period — engagement compounding directly into local economic strength.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Reinvest → Invest (the loop closes)
Nine public library systems in southwestern Ohio generated economic impact nearly four times what was invested in their operations — the kind of return that gives a city room to reinvest in the next phase of a shared space.
The Commons — Research Reference
file:///C/Users/eoverton/OneDrive%20-%20City%20of%20Sebastopol/Desktop/the_commons_research.html[9/14/2026 7:09:31 AM] Source
https://icma.org/sites/default/files/100005_ROI-public%20library.pdf COMPILED FOR SEBASTOPOL, CA — SEPTEMBER 2026 · ALL LINKS OPEN THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
AZ Page
A nine-person library staff became the town's default front door for almost everything senior programming, job fairs, health outreach earning "Best Small Library in America," 2023.
Read the story ↗
https://www.crh.arizona.edu/news/arizona-librarians-enhancing-resilient-rural-communities-gr antee-wins-national-honor
NM Embudo Valley (Dixon)
Grew from a rented room with two volunteer librarians into a 1.5-acre campus with a library, community center, orchard, park, and co-op grocery — built incrementally over three decades.
Learn more ↗
https://www.idealist.org/pt/ong/82ddd35ed93d488ea02340c51bac0c7d-embudo-valley-library-and-c ommunity-center-dixon
US Reimagining the Civic Commons
National initiative (Akron, Lexington, Macon, Detroit, Memphis, and others) connecting libraries, parks, and community centers, with six years of published metrics and planning toolkits.
See the metrics reports ↗
https://civiccommons.us/2024/10/final-metrics-reports/
NJ North Bergen
Library and Parks & Recreation leadership designed one shared building rather than two separate ones, including a teen makerspace open on communitycenter hours instead of library hours.
Read the case study ↗
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/From-Co-location-to-Blended-Facilities NY Forest Hills Community Center, Queens
One building flips roles through the day: senior center in the morning, afterschool program in the afternoon, teen center in the evening over 500 neighbors pass through daily.
Learn more ↗
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
Programs, partner organizations, and recurring events that other towns layered into a shared library / seniorcenter / community space once it existed.
WORKFORCE & SMALL BUSINESS
Turns the space into a resource for job seekers and entrepreneurs, not just a reading room.
One-to-one career & business consultations
Santa Barbara Public Library's "SBPL Works!" offers résumé help, interview practice, and bilingual job-seeker support directly out of the library later expanded to disaster recovery assistance.
Source
https://library.ca.gov/wp content/uploads/2021/09/Value of Libraries Economic Engine.pdf Business incubation resources & coworking
The Urban Libraries Council's Business Value Calculator helps libraries track how coworking space, market-data access, and small-business workshops translate into new and strengthened local businesses.
Source
https://www.urbanlibraries.org/blog/how-library-visits-create-daytime-foot-traffic-and-promote-economic-vital ity in downtowns a case study
MAKER & CREATIVE SPACE
Shared tools and equipment that would be too costly for any one household or nonprofit to own alone.
Makerspace with 3D printers & laser cutter
Redwood City, CA built a library makerspace funded jointly by city capital funds and its library foundation, running teen STEAM workshops, adult drop-in hours, and community-partner classes.
Source
https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/library/rcpl info/makerspace Tool-lending library
The Chicago Tool Library loans power tools, masonry, and woodworking equipment on a pay-what-you-can basis, growing to roughly 6,000 members and outgrowing its original space.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tool_Library
Shared teen makerspace
North Bergen, NJ designed a makerspace jointly with Parks & Recreation, keeping it open on community-center hours (longer than standard library hours) so teens always have access.
Source
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/From Co location to Blended Facilities
HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
Brings services to where people already gather, lowering the barrier to using them.
On-site mental health counseling & food banks
Architecture firm HBM has designed library-anchored facilities that include space for social-service partners such as mental health counseling and food banks, alongside a cultural arts center in Maitland, FL.
Source
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/community building for modern libraries bringing people together is fund amental lj231017
Blood drives & senior wellness classes
San Bernardino, CA schedules recurring senior fitness classes, music-appreciation clubs, and bingo at its senior centers, plus periodic community blood drives a simple recurring-calendar model.
Source
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the sun san bernardino/20240105/281775633990788
MARKETS & GATHERINGS
Recurring, low-cost events that give people a reason to return to the space every week.
Farmers market partnership
The Peabody Institute Library in Massachusetts partnered with local businesses and growers to help pioneer a farmers' market, pairing library foot traffic with fresh, local food access.
Source
https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community centered 23 reasons why your library is the most importan t place in town/
Storytime at the farmers market, concerts, movie nights Small towns across Minnesota, Oregon, and California regularly pair library storytimes with farmers markets, and host outdoor concert series and movie nights on library or community-center grounds.
Source
https://www.hometownsource.com/county news review/county news review/free/local community events calendar/art icle 06ee18e2 be24 4fc6 96d7 171be034c7dd.html
Community gardens & food-box programs
Queens Community House runs a community-run farmers market, a food box program, and communal cooking-and-eating events out of its neighborhood community centers.
Source
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
CIVIC & LIFELONG LEARNING
Keeps the building useful to residents who aren't there to borrow a book.
ESL classes, tech literacy, and teen programs
San Bernardino Public Library runs English-as-a-Second-Language classes and after-school teen programs, while St. Helena, CA offers basic computer and internet literacy classes for adults.
Source
https://napavalleyregister.com/star/lifestyles/st helena events entertainment calendar/article 29b223d2 bf34 4e34 9e1e 42e3273dc75d.html
Multi-use daily schedule
Forest Hills Community Center in Queens runs as a senior center each morning, an after-school site each afternoon, and a teen center each evening one building, three communities served.
Source
https://www.qchnyc.org/communitycenters
Other ways a commons can generate revenue
Beyond the library itself how similar shared spaces fund their own upkeep once built.
SPACE & MEMBERSHIP INCOME
The most common revenue base, and usually the easiest to start with.
Room and venue rental
A UK study of community hubs found that as hubs grow past micro-scale, buildingrental income becomes a core part of the budget, and the largest hubs draw over 40% of revenue from service contracts, fees, and retail sales rather than grants alone.
Source
https://localtrust.org.uk/news-and-blogs/blog/community-hubs-the-importance-of-developing-a-sustainable-busin ess-model/
Weddings and private events
Community centers nationwide routinely rent halls for weddings, receptions, and celebrations of life a low-overhead revenue stream requiring only a booking system and rate card, not new staff.
Source
https://www.wedding spot.com/wedding venues/community center weddings/washington/seattle/ Coworking desks & makerspace memberships
Redwood City's library makerspace blends free public drop-in hours with paid memberships and equipment-use fees for heavier users, funded jointly by city capital funds and its library foundation.
Source
https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/library/rcpl-info/makerspace
RESIDENT BUSINESSES
Bringing in a mission-aligned tenant that pays rent and draws its own foot traffic.
Cooperatively-owned café & music venue
The New Deal Café in Greenbelt, MD operates inside the town's historic community center as a consumer cooperative owned by 200+ member-patrons a restaurant, coffeehouse, and live music venue that generates its own revenue while functioning as a genuine gathering place.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal_Cafe
Shared commercial kitchen
Shared kitchens can generate revenue well beyond basic rental — membership fees, hosting farmers markets and pop-ups, culinary classes, and food-safety certification training — while still serving a community-access mission.
Source
https://www.thefoodcorridor.com/toolkit guide/community programming and services/
EVENTS & VENDOR FEES
Stacks on top of the "halo spending" effect covered earlier — foot traffic that benefits the whole building.
Farmers market vendor stall fees
A market hosted on-site can charge vendors stall fees directly, while the foot traffic it draws also boosts spending at any café, retail, or rental tenants already in the building.
Source
https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-23-reasons-why-your-library-is-the-most-importan t-place-in-town/
Intergenerational activities beyond reading groups
Formats other communities have used to connect seniors and young people, with documented outcomes.
CO-LOCATED CARE — THE MOST-STUDIED MODEL
Puts childcare and senior care in the same building rather than pairing them for occasional visits.
Preschool inside a senior-living community
Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle houses a full preschool inside its seniorliving community. Five days a week, children and roughly 400 older residents share music, dance, art, lunch, storytelling, and joint community service like packing lunches for people experiencing homelessness — well-documented enough to be the subject of the acclaimed documentary Present Perfect.
Source
https://www.providence.org/locations/wa/mount-st-vincent/facility-profile/intergenerational-learning-center REVERSE MENTORING — TEENS TEACHING SENIORS TECH
One of the most common and effective intergenerational formats currently in use.
Peer-to-peer tech support
Tech Buddies, a student-led nonprofit, has provided free one-on-one tech support to more than 2,500 seniors; organizers report the sessions routinely turn into genuine friendships rather than one-off tutoring.
Source
https://www.channelkindness.org/tech-buddies/
Measured confidence & connection gains
An evaluation of a similar digital-literacy campaign found over 80% of participating seniors felt more comfortable with technology afterward, and 70% reported feeling closer to their grandchildren as a result.
Source
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/1155846
Structured multi-week tech coaching
Michigan's Digital Connecting Corps pairs college-age "tech coaches" with older adults at senior centers over 9 12 week courses and distributes refurbished laptops — 96% of participants who requested a device received it along with training.
Source
https://ginsberg.umich.edu/article/digital connecting corps building DIGITAL LITERACY — WITH A REAL ECONOMIC PAYOFF
Beyond social connection, pairing generations around technology has a documented economic angle on both sides of the table.
Seniors' income rises with digital engagement
A 2026 study found digital engagement significantly increases income among older adults, working through four pathways — employment, material capital, social capital, and human capital with the employment pathway alone accounting for roughly a third of the total effect.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2071 1050/18/6/2913
Digital literacy boosts local consumer spending
Research on the "longevity economy" found that digital literacy among older residents reduces precautionary saving and increases consumption spending — a direct contributor to local economic activity rather than just an individual quality-oflife gain.
Source
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599 025 06175 y
Paid youth work built into the model
Los Angeles's Bridge The Digital Divide pairs older adults with a Youth Digital Navigator program that provides paid work experience for young people alongside their volunteer mentorship — making the intergenerational pairing an income source for youth, not just a service to seniors.
Source
https://la2050.org/blog/bridge-the-digital-divide-intergenerational-tech-ed A path back into the workforce
GetSetUp, a digital learning platform for older adults, hosted more than 233,000 classes on finance and employment in 2023 alone, often delivered through library and nonprofit partnerships, helping older adults re-enter the workforce with career, CV, and software skills.
Source
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/older-adults-workforce-innovation-digital-economy/
SHARED PROJECTS
Working side by side toward something tangible tends to build deeper connection than a scheduled visit.
Intergenerational gardening
The Imperial Beach Intergenerational Community Garden in California pairs seniors and youth to garden together; a similar Austin-based program pairs the two groups specifically around food justice, nutrition, and financial literacy, with produce often returning to shared community meals.
Source
https://www.community gardening.org/intergenerational gardening programs/ Multigenerational choirs & music programs
Several senior communities host recurring choirs or joint music programs with local schools that evolve into standing community fixtures performing at town events, rather than one-off visits.
Source
https://www.onwardlivinghq.com/1548/intergenerational activities for seniors and youth/ Structured mentorship pairing
Beyond informal interaction, formal mentoring relationships between teens and adults are linked in youth-mentoring research to meaningfully lower rates of substance use and school truancy worth considering for a more intentional pairing program alongside drop-in intergenerational time.
Source
https://beachwood.roseseniorliving.com/the importance of intergenerational activities in seniors/ The loneliness backdrop — and could a ping pong room help? Why low-barrier, drop-in spaces matter right now, and what the research says about table tennis specifically as an intergenerational activity.
THE NATIONAL PICTURE
Context from the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 Advisory on the healing effects of social connection.
Roughly half of U.S. adults report loneliness
In recent years, about one in two American adults has reported experiencing loneliness, with young adults among the hardest hit — and rates were already climbing before the pandemic widened the gap further.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf A health risk on par with smoking
Lacking social connection raises the risk of premature death about as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, with loneliness and isolation independently raising mortality risk by 26% and 29% respectively.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon general social connection advisory.pdf Weak local ties, even among neighbors
As of 2018, only 16% of Americans said they felt very attached to their local community, and only about 3 in 10 report knowing all or most of their neighbors — a gap that shared, low-barrier gathering spaces are well positioned to close.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Connected communities are measurably safer and stronger A one standard-deviation increase in social connectedness was associated with a 21% reduction in murders and a 20% reduction in motor vehicle thefts; separately, the U.S. cities with the strongest resident attachment saw the greatest GDP growth over a three-year study period.
Source
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon general social connection advisory.pdf
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT PING PONG SPECIFICALLY
Chicago set up roughly 300 free public tables around the city in 2000 as a low-cost way to activate public space a fun precedent, though not one that was formally studied for social outcomes. The research below looks at table tennis itself as a health and connection tool.
Lower loneliness among seniors who play
A 2018 University of Leeds study found that older adults who played regular group table tennis reported significantly lower loneliness and higher life satisfaction — directly relevant to a senior-center pairing.
Source
https://sanweisport.com/en/5-scientific-benefits-of-playing-ping-pong-backed-by-real-studies/ Studied across every age group, in social settings
A 2026 scoping review in Frontiers/MDPI examined 17 studies from 2010 2025 and found table tennis has been studied as a health-and-wellbeing tool across children, adolescents, older adults, and people with conditions like ADHD or Parkinson's — delivered specifically in community and social settings, not just competitive ones.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/14/2/63
Low-barrier by design
Research reviews note table tennis requires no expensive equipment or physical contact, and its pace can be adapted for players of any age or skill level exactly what makes it viable as a genuine intergenerational activity rather than a youthonly or senior-only one.
Source
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/2/3/107
Benefits on the youth side too
A 2024 narrative review found table tennis training positively affected executive function, motor skills, coordination, and social behavior in children and adolescents.
Source
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11353217/
One table, very different populations
A dedicated nonprofit, PingPongParkinson, is built entirely around table tennis for people managing Parkinson's disease a real-world example of how a single table can serve very different populations in the same room.
Source
https://www.pingpongparkinson.org/why ping pong
How a successful commons pays for itself over time
The research above doesn't just support each piece in isolation it describes a self-reinforcing cycle. A wellused commons drives economic activity, which helps residents put down roots, which strengthens the tax base, which funds the next round of investment in the commons itself.
Reinvest → Invest (the loop closes)
Nine public library systems in southwestern Ohio generated economic impact nearly four times what was invested in their operations — the kind of return that gives a city room to reinvest in the next phase of a shared space.
Source
https://icma.org/sites/default/files/100005_ROI-public%20library.pdf COMPILED FOR SEBASTOPOL, CA — SEPTEMBER 2026 · ALL LINKS OPEN THE ORIGINAL SOURCE