Why Libraries Still Exist (And Always, Always Will) (And What You Can Get from Them)

by Evelyn Jones

It seems like everything in the world is changing, for better or worse, and it may seem that an institution as old fashioned as public libraries wouldn’t be able to stand the test of time. Surely, with the research capability of Google, the vast book selection of Amazon, and any number of AI companies to recommend you books for pleasure, business, or academics, no one would need a place like a public library. This opinion should elicit the same reaction in you as “why would you read the book when you could just watch the movie?”

Libraries offer so much more than just a horde of books, although an entire building of books that are free, collected based on community interests and requests, organized for ease of finding exactly what you need, is certainly a central feature. They also offer access to apps like Libby and Hoopla that have a collection of e-books and audiobooks, as well as resources like the Tennessee Electronic Library, which has everything from career search to genealogy records to educational aids. If you’re hitting a wall in research for a paper or project, your library definitely has more than you can find with a preliminary search, especially if you keep running into paywalls, through sites such as NewsBank or Salem Press’s Digital Research Shelf. It’s not only materials that you can get out of your library, though! They provide events for every age and group: crafts, storytimes, author signings and readings, book clubs, gaming clubs and tournaments, movie nights and matinees, DnD groups (and so much more). Even if you don’t have an event scheduled, there’s plenty of space in the library to hang out, with friends or on your own (again, free to access and nothing has to be purchased!) (although they may have merch for sale or a spot for donations and they’d probably appreciate your support). You could come in and play one of the board games in the collection, or check out a piece of sports equipment and take it out to the park (they’d probably not appreciate your use of it indoors). Some people may not visit the library the whole year, except for showing up in March or April to take advantage of the free tax services and forms. Others may only swing through for the free internet access and cheap printing and faxing. Several people just enjoy being somewhere safe, temperature controlled, and quiet. No matter what you use the library for, and you should use the library, there’s no way it’s gonna give you up or let you down and it’s not going away any time soon.