The reason I’m able to easily keep my habit of consuming more movies and books than any reasonable human needs is because of the public library.
My kids and I probably visit our local public library about three times a week. We go there to chill out and do homework and read, look at fashion magazines, sometimes I will go there to write or catch up on my podcasts uninterrupted, my sons hang out with their friends in after-school activities like the Anime Club and Minecraft Mondays, and my daughter can indulge in all the My Little Pony comics she wants. At Christmastime, we can create our own ornaments using the 3D printer and in the summer we can check out Go Pro cameras to record fun, family videos. It’s the only way I’ve been able to keep up with new movie releases and Oscar contenders since I only make it out to the theater about once a month. (Side note for any parents out there: they have entire rooms FILLED with all the latest video games for every game console so you can spoil your children for free. YOU’RE WELCOME. Also side note: here is an incomplete list of all the non-book things you can check out of the library.)
The public library is funded by everyone in the community one way or the other but mostly by property and income taxes. I’m lucky to live in a state like Maryland, which has been called “library heaven” because of the social and financial investment poured into our county-focused public libraries.
According to an independent national survey by the Pew Research Center conducted in 2016, “most Americans view public libraries as important parts of their communities, with a majority reporting that libraries have the resources they need and play at least some role in helping them decide what information they can trust.” That same survey found that half of all Americans aged sixteen and over used a public library in the past year, and two-thirds said that closing their local branch would have “a major impact on their community.” Recent reports from the Pew Research Center have found that more than 90 percent of Americans see their library as “very” important to their community.
And if you needed more evidence of how influential the public library is to local communities, the latest Gallup poll showed that in 2019, more Americans went to the library than to the movies. Yes, really. This makes it by far the most common cultural activity Americans engage in.
Here in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, library circulation is up, program attendance is up, program sessions are up, and the average number that people spend in libraries is up too. I’m proud to say that I think I played a (very) small part in this, since I’ve partnered with the Enoch Pratt Library several times for my Decolonize Your Bookshelves events, which have gained a lot of traction in the past year.
Anyone can use the public library for free. Anyone can browse, use the computers, check out books, movies, audiobooks, video games, whatever, all for free so long as one turns them in by the due date. Even then, if one doesn’t, most library fines are modest because they just want their stuff back so someone else in the community can use it. Even if someone doesn’t have a library card, they can still go to the library and browse and read to their heart’s content until closing; no questions asked.
Young people especially love the public library. Go to any neighborhood branch a few minutes before the school day is out and watch the place fill up with students. Libraries are open, accessible, and free. The library staff is welcoming to them. To appreciate why this matters, compare the social space of the library with the social space of a popular commercial establishment such as Starbucks or McDonald’s. Commercial entities are valuable parts of the social infrastructure, and there’s no doubt that classic “third places",” including cafes, bars, and restaurants, have helped revitalize cities and suburbs. But not everyone can afford to frequent them, and not all paying customers are welcome to stay for long. Spending time in a market-driven social setting — even a relatively inexpensive fast food restaurant or pastry shop — requires paying for the privilege. Inside almost every Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or McDonald’s, particularly those in neighborhoods where there are lots of young people such as middle and high school students, there’s usually at least one sign that says No Loitering. And it’s not just a suggestion. Groups of teenagers are routinely asked to leave commercial establishments, even after they make their purchases. (Eric Klinenberg, Palaces for the People: How Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life)
The internet has become young people’s core social infrastructure because we’ve unfairly deprived them of access to other sites for meaningful connection. Most teens insist they actually prefer hanging out in person to messaging on laptops or smartphones but adults have restricted their mobility so thoroughly that they have few alternatives. The public library is one of the most attractive places for connection for them.
It’s true that most neighborhood branches are in need of renovations and despite being such an important institution, public libraries are undervalued by policy makers. The problem libraries face isn’t that people no longer use them or take out books. Quite the opposite. Too many people are using them for such a wide variety of purposes that librarians and library systems are overwhelmed. Yet political officials view them as inessential. When times are tough, libraries are the first to get their budgets slashed.
Why have so many public officials and civic leaders failed to recognize the value of libraries and their role in our social infrastructure? Perhaps it’s because the founding principle behind the library — that all people deserve free, open access to our shared culture, which they can use to any end they see fit — is out of sync with the market logic that dominates our time. (Eric Klinenberg, Palaces for the People: How Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life)
In other words, the socialist nature of libraries doesn’t fit the dominant capitalist, everything-must-turn-a-profit culture. The American education system, pop culture, and capitalism have taught us that anything representing socialism (and fostering equality) is “freedom-hating” and “democracy-hating" and that it will weaken our work ethic. They incorrectly believe it will stifle innovation and make us too reliant on the government. Fear of socialism is a product of residual Cold War fear, willful ignorance and corporate propaganda. It’s only and always used as a pejorative in American politics.
The public library system is basically socialism at its best.
It’s self-sustaining because it’s so effective. It’s one of the most critical forms of social infrastructure that we have. In the past decade, every other major institution (government, churches, banks, and corporations) have fallen in public esteem except libraries and first responders. If socialism can work for the public library system, it can work for a lot of other systems too. It’s not for-profit, it can’t be sold off to the highest bidder and it provides a social good that is priceless. It’s one of the few environments that doesn’t judge anyone or take advantage of anyone. It offers people dignity and nobility by empowering the disenfranchised.
If you’ve ever wanted to see socialism in action, just visit your public library.
The New York Public Library on 5th Avenue. It is the second largest public library in the United States and the third largest in the world. It’s also one of the most beautiful.
My kids and I goofing off on the library steps in NYC.
Recent Posts
I usually do a write up of the events I’ve organized or hosted and my most-read articles at the end of the year. This was an unusual year (obviously, there is no need to go into it here) so I didn’t bother. Instead I want to highlight a project of mine that I am particularly proud of — it’s my new podcast show, Unverified Accounts, that I cohost with my frequent collaborators, Chris Jesu Lee and Filip Guo. If you're a big movie/TV/book buff, have leftist sympathies, but can't stand 'wokeness' dumbing down our culture, then we're the podcast for you. So far in our 25 episodes, we’ve covered a range of contentious topics.