Sallyann Price writes: “As both academic and municipal libraries work to make their buildings, programming, and collections accessible to all patrons, they’re considering exactly what it means to be a public-serving institution. What are the obligations of a public or private university to its local and global community? How have public libraries extended a sense of welcome to their patrons while safeguarding their rarest and most special collections? A panel discussed these questions January 23 at ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference. ‘In the realm of public libraries, I absolutely think that our mission is to serve everyone in the public, everyone who walks through the door,’ said Maria McCauley, director of Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library and president-elect of the Public Library Association. ‘It’s also our responsibility to make an extra effort to provide equitable service to those who don’t walk through the door for one reason or another.'”