This week is National Library Week (April 6 - 12, 2025)!

I love libraries quite a lot, both as a library staff member and as a long-time patron. So, it feels fitting to acknowledge the week with some of my thoughts about and experiences in libraries.

It is hard not to love public libraries – they are entirely free to access, and are often dedicated entirely to serve the community in which they are located. Although the initial aim of libraries was collection circulation – and this is arguably still the primary function – the last 15 years have seen an increase in library social services (the first library social worker was employed in 2009), which only increased during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though there are many social workers employed in public libraries today (especially ones that serve large urban populations, like Chicago), many librarians themselves also organize financial literacy education, employment and immigration consultation, and other social-service geared programs. As a government institution that tends to be trusted (more so than, say, the police), public libraries tend to provide space and communication channels for community-based organizations as well.

Interestingly, libraries made this shift because they noticed a need for it. When I was 15, I worked in the Santa Cruz Public Library as a summer intern. A large percentage of the library patrons were unhoused people who would come in to use the computers. That summer, there happened to be a breakout of disease that was spread on the keyboards of computers. But, instead of trying to limit access to computers, the library created a sanitation regimen and provided informational signs about how to prevent infection. So often our government makes coercive decisions in the name of safety that rely on separating (or disappearing) people. Instead, this anecdote models decision making that emphasizes access to resources, material, and services. I often find that the policy decisions in libraries trend toward protecting that access, and so it makes sense that when the need for social services was apparent, libraries stepped in to fill the gap. This is because most people who work in libraries truly believe in them as a public good.

Of course, not all libraries are a shining example of morality. Libraries are institutions, which are governed by individuals, who have their own desires, values, and perspectives – some of which are harmful. However, the general trend in libraries curves toward information and resource access.

It feels particularly hard, then, when an institution so oriented toward service is being attacked by federal cuts, book banning policies, and general anti-intellectual attitudes. If you haven’t noticed, libraries have been making the news recently - three days prior to National Library Week several states received notification that their Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grants were cancelled (read the ALA statement). This is particularly upsetting, but not too surprising, since libraries fill in social service gaps that are desperately needed, and the federal government seems set on cutting any government funding that actually goes toward a useful service.

Libraries are an amazing resource that are worth engaging in. I urge you to get a library card, even if you only occasionally use it (some public libraries look at cardholder numbers to determine funding)! If you are interested, I also suggest contacting members of congress to defend IMLS grants.

📖emrys

sent 4/9/25