If you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably have a higher-than-average level of interest in public libraries. Chances are pretty good that you work in libraries yourself, as a librarian, a staff member or a volunteer.
If that's that case, you certainly don't need us to enumerate all the various ways libraries contribute to their communities — but we're about to do exactly that anyway, as a way of thanking you for all you do to make your community a better place to live.
As the calendar rolls over to a new year, we would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the local library as a vital institution that provides a wide range of benefits to patrons and other community members.
Here are some key contributions they make above and beyond the standard library services.
Libraries offer books, audiobooks, movies, music and other resources for free, promoting literacy and lifelong learning.
In a July 2024 Education Week article, early childhood educator Marjeta Bejdo wrote that partnering schools with local libraries can help struggling students learn to read:
Public libraries are one of the best community resources that schools can partner with to improve students’ literacy outcomes. Libraries are “educational support centers” rich in resources that can enhance learning. They offer not just a plethora of books in many languages but also literacy-focused programs for different age groups. Schools and the wider community must leverage these services if they want to see improvement in children’s reading and writing skills.
Many also provide free access to digital resources such as online databases and digital news platforms like PressReader, which features thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world.
Libraries play a crucial role in addressing the “digital divide,” the disparity between those with access to technology, such as broadband internet, and those without it.
In 2021, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized this challenge during a speech to the UN General Assembly: “As the world becomes more digitally dependent, it threatens to exclude those that remain disconnected. Almost half the world’s population, 3.7 billion people, the majority of them women, and most in developing countries, are still offline.”
This issue is not limited to developing nations; even in highly developed countries like the United States and Canada, the digital divide remains a reality, particularly affecting low-income households, seniors, and people living in rural areas.
Most public libraries provide access to free Wi-Fi and public computers, which can be essential for those without internet access at home. Some branches lend out laptops, tablets or hotspots, helping individuals stay connected.
Often acting as de facto community centers, library buildings serve as safe and inclusive environments for people of all ages, backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses.
As Emma Winch — the engagement and development manager for libraries, heritage, and culture in the London Borough of Hackney — recently told East London Lines:
They’re absolutely critical… Libraries are the last spaces in our communities and neighbourhoods where anyone, a young person, an older person, a homeless person, a refugee, a child can access safely, have a warm welcome and be able to do whatever it is that they need to do in those spaces… [they] are so special, because it’s somewhere for everybody to integrate… [and] are a really good place to get people talking to each other.
Public libraries foster inclusivity and promote multiculturalism by celebrating diversity through their collections and programs. They build inclusive collections that reflect the community's diversity, offering books, materials and digital resources like PressReader, which provides publications from over 120 countries in dozens of languages.
Many libraries also host cultural workshops, storytelling sessions and events featuring local artists, authors and performers to showcase traditions, art and stories from around the world.
An inclusive library must welcome all patrons, including those with physical or learning disabilities, by ensuring accessible buildings, resources, and technologies.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations emphasizes in its position paper, Guidelines on Library and Information Services for People with Disabilities, that understanding community needs and offering tailored options are key to effective service. Inclusivity should be grounded in respect for individual needs.
In its 2024 State of America's Libraries report, the American Library Association (ALA) described how Medina County District Library (MCDL) in Ohio used a $20,000 ALA grant to install hearing loop technology.
This system transmits sound via magnetic energy through a wire surrounding an area, acting as a wireless loudspeaker for hearing aids. Compatible with most hearing devices via Bluetooth, it provides clear, customized audio to users within the loop.
“[The hearing loop] will be installed in our community rooms and at the customer service and adult reference desks to help those with hearing loss benefit from library events and services at a higher level,” Sue Schuld, MCDL technology manager, told Cleveland.com.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., uses the GoodMaps app to provide step-by-step navigation for blind or low-vision patrons. Free for iPhone and Android, the app uses the phone’s camera to scan walls and ceilings, delivering precise directions within seconds to guide users within two feet of their destination.
“This is a premier library, and it’s so large, it can be easy to get lost,” Janice Samuel, who’s been using the technology, told WTOP News. “For people who are blind and low vision, they can easily navigate without assistance. And everyone wants to be independent.”
A recent Bookriot article highlighted a groundbreaking study from a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania’s Humanities and Human Flourishing Project and the New York Public Library (NYPL), exploring public libraries' impact on well-being.
The white paper, Libraries & Well-Being: A Case Study from The New York Public Library, analyzed survey data from NYPL patrons using the PERMA model of positive psychology, which focuses on Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
According to the report:
In our divided, unequal, and commercialized society, libraries stand out as among the last truly public institutions. Providing access without financial, social, or physical barriers, public libraries make a unique contribution to promoting individual and collective flourishing throughout the communities they serve.
Some of the study's findings:
92% of respondents reported feeling somewhat to very “calm / peaceful” after visiting the Library;
74% of respondents reported that their library use positively affects how equipped they feel to cope with the world;
90% of respondents reported that their library use positively affects how much they love to learn new things; and
88% of respondents reported that their library use has supported their personal growth.
The ALA's State of America's Libraries report highlights how libraries are addressing food insecurity by installing community fridges stocked with fresh produce, aiming to nourish neighborhoods and reduce the stigma of food assistance.
Charleston County Public Library in South Carolina placed Free and Fresh Fridges in three of its 18 branches to target areas of greatest need, offering free produce like potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Similarly, Des Moines Public Library in Iowa installed fridges at two branches after data showed one branch’s zip code had among the highest food pantry use in the city.
In 2019, the ALA adopted sustainability as a core value of librarianship, noting that this consists of practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible and socially equitable:
Libraries play an important and unique role in promoting community awareness about resilience, climate change and a sustainable future. They are also leading by example by taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint.
Libraries can promote environmental awareness by curating collections on sustainability and climate change, highlighting books, magazines and other resources to inspire patrons and draw attention to environmental topics.
Libraries can also host events such as workshops, lectures, film screenings and discussions led by local environmental experts and organizations. Topics might include sustainable living, waste reduction, renewable energy, climate action and wildlife conservation. Programs like sustainability-focused book clubs, such as the one at Black River Falls Library in Wisconsin, foster community engagement around environmental stewardship.
For children, libraries can offer eco-themed storytimes and interactive activities like crafting with recycled materials, nature walks or gardening workshops, nurturing lifelong environmental values.
In the state of New York, the Library of Local is a partnership between Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley and the Mid-Hudson Library System. According to its website, the project "offers library patrons a collection of books, tools, seeds, AV equipment, and other resources that equip local communities to take action on the climate crisis and advance ecological repair."
The Library of Local also provides a robust monthly schedule of in-person and virtual educational events and community meetings.
As the NYPL study we mentioned above noted:
Through their use of Library resources, patrons gained a deeper understanding of their place within the world, and the feeling that they could — and do — have an impact on their world and on those around them. Further, they could more easily see the interconnectedness of a globalized world and the breadth of existing perspectives on societal issues and life itself. Patrons articulating this effect described it as a nurturing of open-mindedness and empathy, which opened doors to the outside world, and let them connect to and explore it on their own terms.
Libraries foster civic engagement in concrete ways by offering voter registration and information, providing nonpartisan voter resources and hosting civic discussions.
They also serve as forums where residents can discuss local issues and participate in public planning.
Public libraries are more than just repositories for books; they are dynamic community hubs that adapt to meet the changing needs of society. But you didn't need us to tell you that.