Libraries matter. They changed my own life. As a librarian, I have seen them change the lives of others. After school programs provide safe spaces for children. Foreign language materials provide avenues for some to learn English, as well as for English speakers to learn other languages. Entrepreneurs can find resources to create startup companies, to develop business plans or to access available grants for those wanting to create nonprofit organizations.
Today, however, under the Trump administration, libraries are under attack.
My mother always said that when you move to a new town, the first thing you do is get a library card. Fortunately, I heeded that wise advice. Throughout my life, a move to a new city always started with a visit to the local library. They provide critical information such as how to get a driver’s license and how to navigate a new city. Further, they provide free access to entertainment, which helped me relieve the stress attendant to each move to a new part of the country I made.
Libraries have always been a part of my life. As a child, Saturdays were reserved for family trips to the library, where we could check out as many books as we could carry. Books opened my imagination to wonderful worlds, exciting travels, thrilling experiences and enlightening new ideas. Getting my first, very own library card was a true rite of passage.
Libraries have changed with the times and today offer much more than ever before. In addition to providing free access to information found in books and periodicals, they offer storytimes for kids, the ability to stream movies, as well as the ability to access digital and audio books, digital databases and computer classes. They even host art shows in addition to serving as community gathering places. At libraries in the Salt Lake valley, you can borrow sewing machines, telescopes and wireless hotspots. Many of today’s libraries have creative labs offering access to 3D printers, audio recording devices, embroidery machines, poster printers, laminators and more.
One of the most important things I have learned from libraries is knowing the importance of reputable sources, something more crucial today than ever before. And one of the most beautiful things about libraries is that they are places without judgement. Librarians are trained to provide excellent service to every single individual. The same respect is given to the lawyer, the high school student, the unsheltered and the new immigrant. All are truly welcome at the library.
The Trump administration, however, does not seem to value any of this. The president recently issued an executive order attempting to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) by cutting as much of the agency as he could. And he has put action behind the order by placing every single employee of the agency on administrative leave. This could directly impact local libraries across the country by forcing them to limit critical services. According to the American Library Association, important resources like technology classes, delivery services for the homebound and family summer reading events could all be in jeopardy.
Please contact your representatives in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Share your library stories with them, tell them you value libraries and ask that they stand up for libraries across the country, protect IMLS funding and overturn the executive order. Ask your friends and family to do the same.
Libraries may hold as deep a meaning for you as they do for me, or they may just be the place to research a term paper, find a worthwhile romance read, take the kids for an afternoon of storytime, escape from freezing outdoor temperatures, all of the above or none of the above. Regardless, they have been here for everyone in the community for generations. Please do what you can to ensure they continue to be here for generations to come.
(Charlotte Maloney) Charlotte Maloney writes social and political commentary, with work published in the New York Times and newspapers in Utah, Arizona and Colorado.
Charlotte Maloney writes social and political commentary, with work published in the New York Times and newspapers in Utah, Arizona and Colorado. She has a background in library science and human resource management.
The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.
