Library and the opportunity it provides for women’s presence in public space: library as a "Third place"

The “Right to the City” provides a universal entitlement for all citizens to enjoy the public features of Urban Life. The Public Spaces, accordingly, should remain open to those groups and communities who traditionally had the least of fair opportunities to take part in Civil Society. Public Library, as a “Third Place”, is expected to be a pioneer in welcoming the people of “Marginalized” lives. By adopting a critical stance, this research has focused on the experience of a number of women who regularly attend public libraries in variegated regions of Tehran. Based on the results, public libraries are still in serious need of betterment, both spatially and socially, in creating democratic environments in which women are considered as equal citizens. Suffice it to say, there are still a variety of factors that deprive women of an inclusive atmosphere. Most of them are generally inclined to use public libraries, but they also have serious difficulties in expressing themselves freely in such public spaces. The research has also come up with some recommendations in the case of urban management and planning which could be of help in improving the qualities of public libraries.