Love Your Local Library

This week, from April 6-12, is National Library Week — a time to give public libraries the credit they truly deserve for the priceless benefits they contribute to our communities.

Public libraries are one of the last free shared spaces in the U.S. In a capitalist country where everything revolves around spending, public libraries are one of the rare institutions that cost nothing for citizens to enjoy yet provide immeasurably valuable resources.

Libraries are known as “third places” — places outside the home and work, which are the first and second places. Third places are used for social interaction and community building and are free and open to all. But most of our nation’s third places now come with a cost.

Coffee shops, gyms, bars, restaurants and malls are the nation’s most popular third places, but all of them require some type of purchase or membership to enjoy, according to the University of Chicago. 

Libraries, on the other hand, are champions of inclusivity, requiring nothing of their patrons while providing them with an abundance of resources — almost all of them entirely free.

The only requirement most libraries have for access is the possession of a library card, which costs nothing to issue. Certain libraries even accommodate patrons without permanent home addresses or forms of ID by accepting letters from homeless shelters instead.

Libraries provide free spaces to gather, study, work or simply sit for a while. They have free computers, Wi-Fi and internet access as well as printers, copy machines and scanners — not to mention access to thousands of books, movies, CDs, magazines and journals via their collections and interlibrary loans.

They also extend passport services, notary services, homework help and tutoring, job and resume help and after-school programs. 

Most libraries also host free informational events and advocate for social justice. At my local library, patrons are taught how to cast mail-in ballots, educated on financial planning basics and informed how to protest safely and effectively.

As college students, our most accessible library is Loyola’s. Loyola Libraries provides excellent tech services, database access, writing and research help and the ability to borrow media from other institutions thanks to the interlibrary loan system and partnerships throughout Chicago.

However, while providing students with wide-ranging assistance and resources, the university library’s facilities are only accessible to students, faculty and staff. 

Using Loyola’s libraries is a great use of your resources, but supporting local and public libraries ensures that everyone, not just college students, can get the same help and support without having to worry about cost.

Showing your support to public libraries can raise awareness to local and state governments, potentially influencing the amount of funding and allocations they receive.

In addition to the provision of services, libraries help to address public health crises. 

At a Denver library in February 2017, a man fatally overdosed on opioids in the bathroom, according to Colorado Public Radio. 

Ever since, libraries across the country have made it their mission to supply Narcan, a drug used to counteract opioid overdoses, at all times, distributing them to the public with training on how to properly administer the drug. 

Even if you don’t find yourself personally using your local library, they’re fundamental to the community. Checking out a book or attending an event is a simple way to support your library so it can continue to serve the public.

In times like these, where misinformation runs rampant and anything can be discredited by being labeled “fake news,” it’s imperative we support educational and service-based institutions. Libraries are hubs of information, news, culture, art, history and exploration. A nation without libraries is a nation weakened. 

Public libraries are institutions of liberty. They’re pillars of growth and inclusivity in every community where they’re found and are integral to the social infrastructure of our country, supporting free thought and expression even when they are under threat.

Make a difference — show your local library some love.