The humble public library rests as a cornerstone of American society. Seemingly unassuming, there are more than 17,278 in the United states alone (American Library Association, 2024). In such difficult times as these, public libraries are a beacon of hope. Let us then explore the ideals that public libraries actualize on a daily basisIdeals of equality, liberation and egalitarianism are actualized.
Praise and discussion of public libraries are certainly not new among leftists circles. For instance, Kropotkin uses the idea of a public library in influential anarchist work, “The Conquest of Bread” Citing:
When you go to a public library [...] – the librarian does not ask what services you have rendered to society before giving you the book, or the fifty books, which you require[...]. By means of uniform credentials [...]– the scientific society opens its museums, its gardens, its library, its laboratories, and its annual conversaziones to each of its members, whether he be a Darwin, or a simple amateur.
In essence, a public library acts as a great equalizer. Regardless of one’s background, money accrued, or social position, it offers the same level of access. Information yearns to be free. This is achieved in a public library. How wonderful is it, then, that such a structure exists? Unlike other commercial spaces such as paid online lending libraries, there are no tiers or inaccessible information to individuals who use the service. All, be they bourgeois or proletariat, have equal access.
Education is a tool that fights facism. Public libraries provide this service, and offer diverse and opposing viewpoints that provide perspective. Two particular points from Umberto Echo’s 1995 work, “UR-Facism (14 points)” come to mind with the role of public libraries. Despite the different ways that facism is built in history, Echo identifies 14 points that are associated with all movements. A public library fights against two characteristics of facism:
As a consequence, there can be no advancement of learning. Truth has been already spelled out once and for all, and we can only keep interpreting its obscure message.[...]
Besides, disagreement is a sign of diversity. Ur-Fascism grows up and seeks for consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference. The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.
Libraires are an antidote to the above conditions. As a public institution, they do not censor or remove information from the community.
Outside of educational contexts, libraries are vital to community strength. Public Libraries are one of the last free Third Spaces within current society. Coined by the sociologist Ray Oldenburg, a Third Space describes a neutral space between work and home. In his work “The Great Good Place,” he offers that third spaces are vital to interpersonal relationships. As capitalism encroaches on previously free and accessible spaces, they become harder to come by. Coffee shops, community centers, and other locations cost money, which reduce their accessibility. Marx’s famous theory of Alienation fits neatly within these observations.Marx described four types of alienation, including alienation of self and society (Asher Horowitz, 2011). Capitalism leaves little time and capacity for relationship and community building.
In the public consciousness, public libraries are often associated with quiet, stuffy places that are nearly always empty. However, these assumptions couldn’t be further from reality. Libraries are dynamic, living spaces that are greater than the sum of their parts. The Portage District Public Library (PLDL) in Houghton is a prime example of this vital Third Place in work. Not only does the library offer a wide range of books, audiobooks, online services and other media. The PLDL has hosted a wide range of community education programs and workshops– from mushroom growing to political organizing, a wealth of hands-on education and skills are available, free of cost. The PLDL has also been the home of the Keweenaw Socialist’s organizing. As a library, they provide the necessary space for community groups of movers, shakers, and those looking for connection. One look at the bulletin board by the front entrance confirms this– the PLDL is teeming with local events, community groups, and community gatherings.
Library programs as strong as the PLDL don’t come out of nowhere. They come from hardworking folk in the library, in government, and from everyday citizens. The property taxes you pay in help to fund programs that assist all members of the public.
I implore all reading to consider visiting your public library.
Kropotkin, Peter. “The Conquest of Bread.” Marxists Internet Archive, 2021.