Defunding Public Libraries is Defunding Our Future

I’ve grown up around libraries my entire life. Every time we moved as a child, the first thing I did was look for the nearest public library. I still remember how proud I was getting my first library card. I’ve spent hours reading in quiet corners, worked on school projects, and done just about every summer reading challenge the library has had to offer. However this childhood, of being brought up around books, might be something that’s inaccessible to many kids, as many libraries across America are getting defunded.

For example, in Fairfield, Texas it was proposed to “completely [remove] all funds from the library to allocate toward other services, like renovating city streets.” In the end, it was decided that the library would still receive 30% of it’s original funding, but it still proved to be a huge blow. Libraries were also hit particularly hard during the Trump administration, when “IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) officials confirmed that the Trump Administration tried to again propose the elimination of the agency”. Now the problem that we face is not just defunding libraries, but also banning the books that are so important to libraries. According to NPR, “Efforts among Republican leaders to ban certain books have ramped up across the country, with a particular focus on titles with themes about race and LGBTQ issues.” As of right now, Texas is currently in the lead with 713 book bans.

Libraries not only offer books to read but also a warm shelter for homeless people, or a place with internet and computers for people who might not have them. They can even be a place for teens who don’t have a safe place they can study in at home. Libraries aren’t simply a place to get books, but something bigger. They are one of the last places left in our society with knowledge, safety, and the offering of many services for free.

The problems don’t just lie in the library itself; it’s also about the books that make public libraries such an important part of a human’s growth. For example, many children start off their reading journey with a classic short story and while fiction may seem like it’s purely for entertainment, it can also help students become more aware of the world around them. Reading fiction books can be an important tool for fostering imagination, visualization skills and knowledge about the world. Take George Orwell’s 1984 for example. When students read 1984 and compare it to China’s social credit system, they are making connections about the world that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. They are perceiving things through a critical lens instead of blindly consuming propaganda. When children are limited access to books like these, they lose the ability to become adults who think for themselves and instead become one of the the masses, ready to accept anything the government is saying. By defunding libraries, we are defunding so many children’s access to that education. And in the future, if we have an indifferent, ignorant and unintelligent society, we will be the ones to blame.

At the heart of our library problem lies another one - America’s public infrastructure. Recently public infrastructure spending has been on the decline. According to the New York Times, “The deterioration of the nation’s infrastructure has raised widespread concerns about safety, quality of life and the impact on economic growth. Politicians in both parties have declared the issue a priority.” So if it’s such a priority, why aren’t we seeing more stuff being done about it? The problem is that infrastructure is funded by the people’s taxes - and raising taxes is just about the least popular decision that you can make as a politician, whether you’re a democrat or a republican. Furthermore, even with the proper money from taxpayers, as Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said ‘“It’s always easier to defer new construction than to stop paying people who are on the payroll or the welfare rolls. A lot of states are under real stress.”

The places that are hit the hardest are usually libraries. According to Eric Klinenburg in his book Palaces for the People, reports from the Pew Research Center state that ““Americans see their library as “very” or “somewhat” important to their community, and in the past decade “every other major institution (government, churches, banks, corporations) has fallen in public esteem except libraries, the military, and first responders.” Despite this support, in recent years cities and suburbs across the United States have cut funding for libraries, and in some cases closed them altogether, because political officials often view them as luxuries, not necessities.” But if there’s anything that libraries are, they are definitely a necessity. Every single librarian that I have known has always gone out of their ways to help the public. There has perhaps never been a group of people more dedicated to helping every single person who walks through their door than librarians. So if so many Americans are impacted by libraries, then why are libraries till facing huge budget cuts? Klinenberg theorizes that “Perhaps it’s because the founding principle behind the library—that all people deserve free, open access to our shared culture and heritage, which they can use to any end they see fit—is out of sync with the market logic that dominates our time.” In a society that is hell-bent on making us spend more, a place where people are allowed to exist for free - to borrow books and DVDs for free, to use printers for free - seems like an atrocious demand. If libraries were proposed today, just imagine how easy it would be to shut them down as yet another outrageous socialist idea.

The best thing that you can do to help libraries from being defunded is getting involved. If you don’t go to the library much, try to visit more often. Take advantage of all the programs and resources they have to offer, beyond just books. If you are already visit the library often, try to get involved in volunteer programs. Many libraries are severely understaffed and the help of volunteers can be a great help. Libraries also need to adapt to the changing times. With the popularity and ease of ebooks, many libraries should consider having some sort of digital alternative to physical books, like Libby or Overdrive.

If you would like more information on how and why social infrastructure is important for governments to invest in, I highly recommend reading “Palaces for the People” by Eric Klinenberg. It is truly an eye-opening read about problems that you might not have considered before. The impact libraries have on us is immeasurable. Even as I write this article, I am writing it in my local library. Libraries are constantly serving our community. It’s high time that we serve them.