Public life is becmoning increasingly privatized at a time when connection, tolerance ,and understanding are needed most. The public library is one of the only remaining truly unconcidtionl public spaces, yet they are not perceived or planned for as public space. They are a civic and social resource hiding in plain sight. This project reframes public  libraries  as essential social infrstructure and genuine public space, proposing a framework of planning, policy, and design grounded in the Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library system.