Also written by Eliana Wilkin
Libraries are one of the last places in the world where everything is free to the consumer. Not only are libraries just free, they practically offer unlimited entertainment and knowledge, from magazines, computers, and books, slotted with so much more in between. But despite libraries being a citadel of availability, many are underfunded and risk further budget cuts. Our society suffers the consequences of that reality, impacting greatly the scope of costless provisions society has left. I believe that we should get rid of the epidemic of underfunding and further budget cuts libraries face, and instead provide them with the adequate spending they require to continue their needed resources.
In the previous paragraph, I listed off some specific services a library gives, but they also contribute so much else in other avenues as well. For example, my local library offers free snacks to little kids and runs programs that encourage literacy. It’s not just about the physical items a library has, as libraries also operate as a place where students can go and do academics in a quiet environment, where people without computers can go and use computers in a comfortable setting, and also serve as a location where the homeless can go and have a warm and sheltered stay for a while. The eclectic mashups a library provides is endless, and serves the community in countless ways. Libraries offer free literacy for every type of reading demographic, kids still learning how to read to adults getting back into reading. The sheer amount of publicly available resources a library has open to the community for free is uncontestable.
It’s pivotal for all demographics to retain adequate access to a wide web of literacy and communal services, and underfunding deprives us of this. Many libraries do not have the funding they need to continue to run operations, and that’s very concerning. Libraries serve as an indispensable bridge between the educational accessibility of social classes, and this is marred when they can’t afford to continue to act as the bridge.
When interviewing Barb Donahue, our school librarian about the importance of libraries staying accessible to all she stated,
“I think it is very important to have libraries in schools and I think it is important that schools have a trained, licensed librarian.”
All of the important qualities a library gives that I mentioned earlier aren’t guaranteed, nor are all the other ways a library will positively impact their community, when it’s unviable for the libraries for them to do such. A library is essentially a hub that starts lifelong learning and fosters that lifelong learning with its unlimited access. It’s disheartening to see this powerful contribution be labeled any but important, and for its very purpose be trivialized and undermined with a sledgehammer to its communal services.
If you are unable to donate or are unsure how you could support your local or school libraries without involving the financial aspect, there are some options that are available at some different libraries. Some libraries offer opportunities for volunteers, voicing your opinion to your district council or local politicians on how this issue matters to you, and respecting libraries and staff that make this inclusive environment. If you yourself don’t feel comfortable doing these things or want to make a bigger impact, you can always encourage others to make a difference in your community. Libraries are a vital cornerstone of any community, and this fact should never be jeopardized.
