What is the value of the public library, anyway? It costs money, generates no income, and it’s only for entertainment. At least, that’s how I’ve heard a shocking number of individuals put it. I even had a person inform me that a library is “just an overpriced daycare” that they “have to chuck tax dollars into whether they want to or not.” I have to hold my tongue, obviously, but boy do I want to go off when I hear this.

Even before I worked at the library, I recognized it for what it is; it’s a place that requires nothing and gives everything. It’s a place where a person can sit and just exist without someone expecting them to buy something or donate money or leave after a certain time slot is up. For the public library, at least, what I see every day is a place that people can come and ask for the spiciest, most indulgent romance novels without shame, or apply for food stamps with the same lack of embarrassment. People can get a five minute break while their kids color so they can check their email, or they can see what’s happening with free newspapers or watch the news on our community TV.

The key is that it’s free. That’s all. I’ve always recognized that, and the importance for that. Unfortunately a lot of the people ‘in charge’ are not people in need of those free services. Many of the people that ‘make the decisions’ have never been in need of filing for Medicaid or look for a job online without access to a home computer. Even without mentioning my specialty, archives, there is a vast need for the services that the public library provides. We act as a source of entertainment with programs and books, certainly, but we are also champions of literacy for all ages, a resource for people in challenging times without computers or internet, a news source for the elderly who have to choose between their medications and cable TV, a refuge from the heat or cold for the unhoused, and so much more. We act as purveyors of entertainment and stand-ins for social workers.

The question isn’t how to make a case for the library, but instead how can you make a case without the library?