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The Complicated Role of the Modern Public Library

Something for everyone.

A homeless patron, Allen Barkovich, sits in the Woodmere Branch of the Traverse Area District Library in Michigan, 2013.

—AP Photo / Traverse City Record-Eagle , Keith King

There aren’t many truly public places left in America. Most of our shared spaces require money or a certain social status to access. Malls exist to sell people things. Museums discourage loiterers. Coffee shops expect patrons to purchase a drink or snack if they want to enjoy the premises.

Pratt Library President and CEO Heidi Daniel reads at story time.

—Enoch Pratt Free Library

Pima County Health Department Library Nurse Daniel Lopez takes the blood pressure of homeless man Jim Truitt at the Main Joel D. Valdez Pima County Public Library in Tucson, Arizona.

—© Pima County Public Library

One place, though, remains open to everybody. The public library requires nothing of its visitors: no purchases, no membership fees, no dress code. You can stay all day, and you don’t have to buy anything. You don’t need money or a library card to access a multitude of on-site resources that includes books, e-books and magazines, job-hunting assistance, computer stations, free Wi-Fi, and much more. And the library will never share or sell your personal data.

In a country riven by racial, ethnic, political, and socioeconomic divides, libraries still welcome everyone. “We are open spaces,” says Susan Benton, the president and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, whose members include public-library systems serving cities large and small across the United States. “We certainly are without judgment about anybody’s characteristics.”

That commitment to inclusivity, along with a persistent ability to adapt to changing times, has kept public libraries vital in an era of divisive politics and disruptive technological change. But it has also put pressure on them to be all things to all people, and to meet a vast range of social needs without correspondingly vast budgets. These days, a branch librarian might run story hour in the morning, assist with a research project at lunchtime, and in the afternoon administer life-saving medical aid to a patron who’s overdosed on the premises.

If the idea of libraries as frontline responders in the opioid crisis sounds far-fetched, look no further than the Denver Public Library. In February 2017, a twenty-five-year-old man suffered a fatal overdose in one of its bathrooms. That prompted the library to lay in a supply of Narcan, a drug used to counteract opioid overdoses. Other libraries, including the San Francisco Public Library, have followed suit and begun to stock the life-saving drug.

Such interventions indicate the expanded role our public libraries now play in a fraying social network. Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist based at New York University, spent a year doing ethnographic research in New York City library branches for his latest book,  Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life . Klinenberg borrowed the title from Andrew Carnegie, the Gilded Age industrialist-turned-philanthropist who funded some three thousand public libraries—“palaces for the people”—in the United States and abroad.

In an update of Carnegie’s idea, Klinenberg describes public libraries as “social infrastructure.” That means “the physical spaces and organizations that shape the way people interact,” he wrote in a 2018 op-ed in the  New York Times . “Libraries don’t just provide free access to books and other cultural materials, they also offer things like companionship for older adults, de facto childcare for busy parents, language instruction for immigrants and welcoming public spaces for the poor, the homeless and young people.”

Klinenberg’s book is just one of a series of recent high-profile tributes to America’s public libraries. The  New Yorker  writer Susan Orlean’s most recent book, called simply  The Library Book , begins with a personal love song to the subject before diving into the rich, troubled history of the Los Angeles Public Library and its iconic building in downtown L.A. In 2014, the photographer Robert Dawson published a book-length photographic essay that lovingly documents the astonishing variety of the seventeen thousand or so public libraries across the United States, from one-room shacks in the tiniest of towns to branches in strip malls to breathtaking, Carnegie-era book palaces in center cities. And a forthcoming NEH-funded documentary,  Free for All: Inside the Public Library , brings to life some of the history and personalities that have shaped this major force for public good.

All of these projects confirm how libraries have proved over and over again, through decades of rapid change and predictions of obsolescence, that they remain essential to Americans’ lives. In an era of extreme weather events and other disasters, they’re becoming even more necessary.

The journalist Deborah Fallows and her husband, James Fallows, road-tripped across the country to report their 2018 book  Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America , in which public libraries play a starring role. “In Ferguson, Missouri, the public library stayed open when the schools were closed after the riots, to offer the kids a safe place and even classes taught by volunteers,” Deborah Fallows wrote in a May 2019 dispatch for the  Atlantic . “After the hurricanes in Houston, some library websites were immediately up and running, announcing that they were open for business. After Hurricane Sandy, some libraries in New Jersey became places of refuge. And in the Queens Library’s Far Rockaway branch, which didn’t have heat or light, the librarians set up shop in the parking lot to continue children’s story hours.”

Beyond Books

There are limits to the civic responsibilities public libraries can shoulder. “We’re not the police, we’re not social workers,” says Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne, the director of the Palo Alto City Library system in Silicon Valley and the 2018–19 president of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. “We do provide an important thread to a community’s well-being and health.”

In calmer times, public library systems offer a staggering array of programming that goes well beyond the books-and-story-time model many of us remember from our childhoods.

Ziesenhenne rattles off a list of some of Palo Alto’s offerings: a seed-lending library, home-brewing tutorials, a “Knack 4 Knitting” club, bilingual story hours, programs designed to help immigrants learn how to live in the United States. Keeping up with a national trend, the library recently created a makerspace with 3-D printers. In July, one branch hosted a workshop on how to use “graywater” from inside a house to sustain native-plant landscaping in the yard.

The list goes on and on. There’s something for almost everyone at the local library, whether you’re a parent who needs literacy support for your preschooler, an immigrant working on language skills or bureaucratic forms, a mystery fan in search of the latest whodunit by a favorite author, or someone experiencing homelessness who needs assistance with social services or access to a computer and the Internet.

Or you could just check out a book, as generations of library patrons have done before you. As extra-literary programs and digital offerings have expanded, the codex has not faded away. “We are still crazy busy with the basic printed materials,” Ziesenhenne says. “In Silicon Valley you would not necessarily expect that, but it’s absolutely true.”

Being located at the wealthy epicenter of the tech revolution doesn’t mean that the library has bottomless funds, though. Like most libraries, “we never have enough money for what we want to do,” Ziesenhenne says.

Even as print thrives, public librarians everywhere spend a lot of time wrangling with the great digital shift and how to adapt to it. In Palo Alto and elsewhere, they’re seeing an increase in the use of digital content as patrons become more familiar with how to use streaming media.

To keep up with changing technology and user expectations, public libraries have invested in more computer terminals and Wi-Fi capability. They have upgraded and expanded facilities to provide more outlets, meeting rooms, study spaces, and seating that patrons can use for extended periods of time as they take advantage of free Wi-Fi.

New, bigger, brighter coworking spaces see high usage among millennials, according to Ziesenhenne. “We are the original sharing economy, I like to say.”

The explosion of information online hasn’t sidelined librarians. It’s only made them more essential at a time when too few of us know how to distinguish real news from the fake variety. “We’ve worked very hard to think about media and how information is presented and ways we can equip people going forward to look for clues on a website,” including asking how old the content is and who’s providing it, Ziesenhenne says.

Librarians have an advantage in making themselves heard through the noise and confusion: Along with nurses and firefighters, they’re among the few groups and institutions Americans still trust, according to Lee Rainie, director of Internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center.

From 2011 until 2016, Pew did a number of deep-dive studies of public libraries, work funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In those surveys, researchers found that trust in librarians remained high because of their proven ability to curate and share reliable knowledge. “That’s become one of the more precious skills in a world where gaming the information ecosystem is an everyday reality,” Rainie says.

Pew’s library research generated other findings that grabbed media attention: Millennials grew up loving libraries and continue to support and make use of them, Rainie says. Now that they have families of their own, they’ve remained loyal. Having a child under the age of six is the biggest predictor of library use, Rainie adds; parents of young children like the family-friendly programs libraries run.

Pew’s research also found that families often see libraries as sanctuaries. “They were zones of peace, sometimes, in neighborhoods and communities where that was a precious commodity,” notes Rainie.

Formerly homeless high school student, Tinesheia Howard studies at the library of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois.

—AP Photo / Seth Perlman, 2008

For many teens and adults, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds or without computer access at home, the local branch also functions as an on-ramp to the Internet. “Libraries have rebranded themselves as tech hubs without a lot of fanfare,” he says. They allow customers to learn and experiment with new digital resources such as 3-D printers without having to invest in them at home. “People treat libraries as petting zoos for new technology,” as Rainie puts it.

All of those activities require staff time and/or money. As they decide where to spend finite resources, libraries rely on survey data and on detailed conversations with their communities to keep content and programming up to date and adjust what they offer as times and needs change. Library staffers often act as community liaisons even when they’re not on duty, bringing back grassroots knowledge that helps the library add or adapt services in response.

“The library of my youth made all the rules,” says Patrick Losinski, CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio. The mantra of today’s library, he says, is: How do you meet people where they want to be?

To get answers, the Columbus library recently hired a survey firm to gather information on patrons’ use of and views on the library. The results revealed a virtual town square of activity, with visitors dropping by to check out and return books (41 percent), bring their kids to play area (13 percent), do research (14 percent), read and relax (13 percent), study (9 percent), and use Wi-Fi, computers, printers, or copiers (about 27 percent combined). “Our customers also checked out more than fifteen million items last year, so we’re still a library,” Losinski says.

The survey confirmed that the community views its library as a force for social good. Ninety-one percent of respondents said helping kids by working more closely with schools should be one of the library’s top priorities; 50 percent said that should be its highest priority. Losinski reports that over 50 percent of the area’s youngsters do not have the literacy skill set they need for kindergarten, including basics such as how to hold a book and how to pronounce words they encounter.

Being able to read well gives kids a leg up in schooling and in life, but many children do not have the resources—books at home, parents with time and literacy skills and good child care—to help them master that skill. Public libraries around the country are stepping up to the challenge.

Children participate in 37,000 sessions a year in the Columbus library’s reading-buddies program, which helps kids prepare for a reading-proficiency test in third grade. In Los Angeles County, libraries have recast traditional story time as “school readiness time” and rebranded bookmobiles as “Reading Machines” to visit day care centers and bring parenting-support strategies out into the community.

“Libraries are not about books, they’re about people,” says Skye Patrick, who since 2016 has been the director of the Los Angeles County Library system. When Library Journal named Patrick its Librarian of the Year for 2019, it saluted her “efforts to eliminate barriers and increase access to services for her residents.”

Compton Library holds a Microsoft Digi Camp for students in 2018.

—Los Angeles County Library System

“Equity means different things for different people,” Patrick says. “We wanted to challenge our staff to have a better awareness both of the experience of their colleagues and the experience of their customers.”

Patrick’s strategy to improve library access included putting in place a program called iCount, which provides tools and training for supervisors and staff on how to recognize inherent biases in programs and services. Thinking hard about equity and a wide range of patron experiences and needs is a must for L.A. County’s librarians, who work in one of the four largest and most diverse public library systems in North America. (The other three are the Toronto Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Los Angeles Public Library system that serves the city of L.A.) The county has 86 library facilities (plus three bookmobiles) that collectively serve about 3.4 million residents; the system covers some 3,000 square miles and 49 cities.

Statistics for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018, give a sense of the scale at which it operates: annual circulation—10,857,015; e-book circulation—1,184,289; reference and information questions handled—5,908,474; number of Wi-Fi sessions—4,388,244.

Patrick is no stranger to large library systems; she ran the Broward County Library in Florida before she took her current job. In her experience, there is no workable one-system-fits-all model for public libraries. When she arrived in L.A. County, she set up a listening tour to meet with some of the county’s 3.4 million residents to hear what they wanted from their library.

“I called it a community visioning system, because I wanted the community to actively participate in the creation of the library they needed,” she says. One of the biggest takeaways: “a resounding desire for more hours.” Along with money constraints, “that’s always the issue for every library,” she says.

In response, the system added fifteen thousand more public service hours with some creative strategies that included the use of self-checkout technology, staggered staff schedules, and an additional 1 to 4 service hours per branch per week. “It was low-hanging fruit for us, and it garnered some true goodwill from the community,” Patrick says.

Other requests, such as a kindergarten class’s request to install slides and serve ice cream every day, weren’t feasible—“although we did think about it!” Patrick says. But “based on that response, they associated us with fun, and that’s a big win.” The kids didn’t see the library as stuffy and rule-bound.

Beyond being fun, libraries create sanctuaries for patrons who have few safe spaces in their lives. “There’s a tremendous amount of comfort and safety for people experiencing mental health issues,” Patrick says. “When they’re here, they’re not on the street.”

That inclusivity brings challenges. Some are minor, as when patrons wash up in library bathrooms because they’ve been living on the streets without access to personal-hygiene essentials. But if mental illness is at work, a library user may need a lot more than a place to clean up.

The vast majority of library users do not represent a danger to other patrons or staff, but libraries’ openness carries risks. Librarians have been threatened or killed in the course of doing their jobs. In January 2019, while getting ready for a book sale, the director of the Fort Myers Beach library in Florida was targeted and stabbed to death by a homeless man. A month earlier, in December 2018, the supervisor of the North Natomas branch of the Sacramento Public Library was shot to death in her car in the library’s parking lot by a man she had banned from the library for bad behavior. Her widower wrote an op-ed in  American Libraries  magazine to call attention to the dangers that library workers face. But security measures like metal detectors or monitoring systems don’t align well with libraries’ commitment to maintaining patron privacy and creating truly open spaces.

Pew’s Lee Rainie describes libraries as “early warning systems for broad cultural phenomena.” Those phenomena can be positive, such as the thirst to experiment with new technology and the desire to broaden access to good information and social services. But they can also be negative. Tensions between different social groups can arise when people who otherwise rarely interact rub elbows at the library.

Skye Patrick identifies a fracture point between what she calls “our two customer bases.” Some patrons ask for more security at library branches or express dismay about disruptions created by homelessness. Her job involves trying to educate one group about the rights of the other. The bottom line for all patrons: “As long as they are adhering to our code of customer expectations, they have the right to use the library,” she says.

The L.A. County bureaucracy, of which the library is a part, can help smooth the way for the disenfranchised. For instance, the Department of Social Services will provide an address for homeless patrons to use in order to get a library card. The library also offers fine-free cards for young people under 21, eliminating one common barrier to full access. (The system hasn’t dispensed with fines altogether yet, although like many libraries it is moving away from fines and has held amnesty periods in which patrons can return overdue materials without penalty.)

Librarians have long helped users navigate life challenges like finding a job, studying for an exam, or applying to school. More and more they play a crucial role in connecting patrons in need of social or mental health services with relevant agencies. “Our branch staff has been trained to at least point to the kinds of services that are available,” Patrick says.

Along with a growing number of libraries, it joined forces with the mental health department to bring social workers on-site to work with patrons in need. Beyond such partnerships with other county agencies, the Los Angeles County Library focuses on fostering what Skye Patrick calls “protective factors”: meaningful social connections, positive parent-child interactions, positive cultural identity, literacy support, and school readiness.

“Time will tell, but I feel really confident that it’s working,” Patrick says, adding that library staff also feel safer with that extra support in place. “That does not mean it solves everything.” Even an institution as resourceful, flexible, and resilient as the public library has its limits.

Jennifer Howard is a writer based in Washington, D.C. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post , the Chronicle of Higher Education , the Times Literary Supplement , Bookforum , VQR , and elsewhere.

Funding information

The National Endowment for the Humanities has had long and productive partnerships with libraries of all kinds across the country: public libraries, research libraries, specialized libraries and collections, university libraries, and school libraries. NEH library projects—from infrastructure to outreach—help these vital institutions stay current and inclusive.

In 2018, NEH launched a new program for Infrastructure and Capacity-Building Challenge Grants to support brick-and-mortar library projects as well as other efforts to strengthen the institutional base for the humanities in America. For example, the Hartford Public Library in Michigan received a 2019 NEH grant of $400,000 to construct a new library and community center, making available cultural and educational resources for the southwest area of the state.

Free for All: Inside the Public Library  is an upcoming documentary on the history of the public library in America. Video Veracity received $540,000 from NEH to plan and produce the film, which looks at past and current uses of libraries and examines the library’s role in American democracy.

With an NEH grant of $315,000 , the University of California, San Francisco, Library, collaborating with San Francisco Public Library and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society, will digitize 150,000 pages from 49 archival collections related to the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the Bay Area and make them accessible online.

NEH has awarded $1,250,000 to the Digital Public Library of America , an online resource for materials in America’s libraries, archives, and museums. From its launch in 2013, the all-digital library has grown from 2.4 million items in its collection to more than 35 million images, texts, videos, and sounds.

The Newberry Library in Chicago has received 183 grants from NEH since 1970 , totaling $53,698,333 to support collection building, exhibitions, research, workshops and institutes for teachers, and public programming. This year, with a $200,000 NEH grant , the library offers a series of citywide public programs and digital resources exploring the history of the July 1919 Chicago race riots.

Since 1970, the American Library Association has received 66 NEH grants , totaling $32,006,701 for projects ranging from bookshelf programs such as Muslim Journeys to traveling exhibits on topics such as the Dust Bowl and the African-American baseball experience, to reading and discussion series such as the Federal Writers Project and the Columbian Quincentenary. In 2018, ALA received an NEH grant of $397,255 to conduct the Great Stories Club, a nationwide program for at-risk teens on themes of empathy, heroism, and marginalization.

Republication statement

The text of this article is available for unedited republication, free of charge, using the following credit: “Originally published as “Something for Everyone” in the fall 2019 issue of  Humanities  magazine, a publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities.” Please notify us at  @email  if you are republishing it or have any questions.

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Essay on Library and Its Uses for Students and Children

500 words essay on library and its uses.

A library is a place where books and sources of information are stored. They make it easier for people to get access to them for various purposes. Libraries are very helpful and economical too. They include books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, manuscripts and more. In other words, they are an all-encompassing source of information.

A public library is open to everyone for fulfilling the need for information. They are run by the government, schools , colleges, and universities. The members of the society or community can visit these libraries to enhance their knowledge and complete their research.

Importance of Libraries

Libraries play a vital role in providing people with reliable content. They encourage and promote the process of learning and grasping knowledge. The book worms can get loads of books to read from and enhance their knowledge. Moreover, the variety is so wide-ranging that one mostly gets what they are looking for.

Furthermore, they help the people to get their hands on great educational material which they might not find otherwise in the market. When we read more, our social skills and academic performance improves.

Most importantly, libraries are a great platform for making progress. When we get homework in class, the libraries help us with the reference material. This, in turn, progresses our learning capabilities and knowledge. It is also helpful in our overall development.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Uses of Library

A library is a very useful platform that brings together people willing to learn. It helps us in learning and expanding our knowledge. We develop our reading habits from a library and satisfy our thirst and curiosity for knowledge. This helps in the personal growth of a person and development.

Similarly, libraries provide authentic and reliable sources of information for researchers. They are able to complete their papers and carry out their studies using the material present in a library. Furthermore, libraries are a great place for studying alone or even in groups, without any disturbance.

Moreover, libraries also help in increasing our concentration levels. As it is a place that requires pin drop silence, a person can study or read in silence. It makes us focus on our studies more efficiently. Libraries also broaden our thinking and make us more open to modern thinking.

Most importantly, libraries are very economical. The people who cannot afford to buy new books and can simply borrow books from a library. This helps them in saving a lot of money and getting information for free.

In short, libraries are a great place to gain knowledge. They serve each person differently. They are a great source of learning and promoting the progress of knowledge. One can enjoy their free time in libraries by reading and researching. As the world has become digitized, it is now easier to browse through a library and get what you are looking for. Libraries also provide employment opportunities to people with fair pay and incredible working conditions.

Thus, libraries help all, the ones visiting it and the ones employed there. We must not give up on libraries due to the digital age. Nothing can ever replace the authenticity and reliability one gets from a library.

FAQs on Library and Its Uses

Q.1 Why are libraries important?

A.1 Libraries help in the overall development of a person. They provide us with educational material and help enhance our knowledge.

Q.2 State some uses of the library.

A.2 A library is a great platform which helps us in various things. We get the reference material for our homework. Research scholars get reliable content for their papers. They increase our concentration levels as we read there in peace.

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British Council

Why do we still need public libraries in the digital age, by tomas doherty, 19 september 2014 - 16:44.

Janko Ferlic, used under licence and adapted from the original .

After years of declining visitor numbers, libraries are experiencing a resurgence of interest and investment. The British Council's Tomas Doherty explains how libraries have adapted to new trends in how we read, work and socialise, as the  British Council library in Dhaka  reopens on 20 September.

Technology has changed the way we consume media

Libraries have always been at the heart of the communities they serve. They are accessible and safe spaces, providing access to huge resources of information and knowledge. There are an estimated 315,000 public libraries in the world, 73 per cent of them in developing and transitioning countries. The public library transcends national and cultural boundaries -- no matter where you are in the world, they are an essential part of creating and maintaining an educated and literate population.

But today, public libraries are at a turning point. The way we access and consume information has changed dramatically in the 21st century, and this presents major challenges and opportunities for public library systems across the world.

The advent of new technologies has changed some of our reading habits. But our need for shared, community-centred spaces to find information and connect with others is unlikely to change any time soon. To survive in the digital age and stay relevant, public libraries need to be brave and innovative. They must embrace both the physical and virtual.

Libraries must offer more than just books

Regular visitors to libraries expect them to continue to provide the services they have provided for many years. And rightly so -- the ‘traditional’ library of books, journals and quiet reading spaces shouldn’t just disappear. But libraries also need to respond quickly to real changes in how people live their lives.

In the UK, with heightened pressure on public expenditure and lowering visitor numbers, the traditional library system has come under more scrutiny. Why maintain expensive-to-run ‘physical’ libraries when growing numbers of people can already access the information they need from any location? As a result, in recent years public libraries have been threatened with closure across all parts of the country.

But there has also been a major rethink in the UK as to how exactly the library should be serving the public, and what the library of the future could and should look like. Last year, the Arts Council England published a wide-ranging and detailed piece of research,  Envisioning the library of the future , aiming to answer these very questions. As well as emphasising the need for the physical and the digital to sit side by side, it finds that the 21st century public library service will be one in which “local people are more active and involved in its design and delivery.” A sense of community, always a defining feature of libraries, has renewed importance.

People in developing countries like Bangladesh need access to reliable information

In lower-income countries, like Bangladesh, the context for libraries is different but some of the same challenges remain. Bangladesh itself is a small country with a huge population, estimated at around 162 million people. There are high rates of poverty and illiteracy, especially in rural areas. According to the  World Bank , 43 per cent of the total adult population is illiterate, with a disproportionate number female. Internet penetration in Bangladesh is only 22 per cent, 10 per cent less than the global average.

Bangladesh urgently needs greater access to reliable information for all its citizens. Not only do they need vital information about health, safety, nutrition and public services, but they also want opportunities to develop their literacy, learn skills for employability, and take part in collective educational and cultural activities. In Bangladesh, information is essential to survive and prosper - and lacking the right information can lead to worsening economic poverty.

With the right investment, libraries could be well-placed to provide some of that knowledge and those opportunities to communities all over Bangladesh. However, there’s also a need for library services to go beyond the ‘traditional’. An increasing digital divide (that has been shown to entrench both gender and class divisions), and ethnic and religious tensions continue unabated in some regions. Just like in the UK, Bangladesh has to rethink how libraries can better meet the needs of its people.

Bangladesh has plenty of libraries, but the quality of their services is inconsistent

Bangladesh's current library and information services provide access to information to varying degrees, but they are fragmented and unaligned in what they offer. For instance, there are 68 government public libraries, all in urban areas, which have long been in need of investment.

There many more non-governmental public libraries, around 1,000 spread across urban and rural areas.  BRAC , the world’s largest NGO, maintains a network of 2650 Gonokendros (multi-purpose community learning centres), mostly located in rural villages. About 10 per cent of these have internet connectivity.

The Bangladesh Government’s Access to Information (a2i) programme has also set up a network of Union Information Service Centres (UISCs). These provide limited public internet access and operate in all 4,547  Union Parishads , the lowest tier of local government. Bangladesh's population is young, growing and ever-changing, so these services will have to find a way to adapt for the future.

Bangladesh's economy is improving fast

Bangladesh has gone through a period of unprecedented economic change over the last two decades, with growth averaging at around five to six per cent year-on-year. The country has been named by Goldman Sachs as one of its 'next 11' emerging economies . This speedy development is likely to continue, but for everyone to take part in it and gain equally, the country will need broad-based access to information. Libraries should be at the centre of this.

The British Council has a long history of running libraries in South Asia 

Historically, the British Council’s international network of libraries played a vital role in educating a generation of leaders. In South Asia in particular, the libraries were, and continue to be, integral parts of the communities they serve. They provided access to a wide range of books and learning materials in the English language that were in limited supply elsewhere. In countries that were once isolated or had closed societies, like Burma, the British Council library was a venerated source of up-to-date information from the wider world.

In Bangladesh, people from all walks of life continue to speak with great respect and nostalgia about the role of the British Council library in their lives; the education it provided, the opportunities it created - many met their spouses there. The organisation first began to offer library services in Dhaka 60 years ago in 1954, in what was then known as East Pakistan. It later expanded to run branch libraries in the regional cities of Chittagong and Rajshahi. Today, there are British Council libraries in Dhaka and Chittagong, with more library services planned to open in Sylhet in early 2015.

Libraries have to modernise while staying true to the heart of what they offer

Like other library providers, the British Council has had to respond to lifestyle changes in the countries we work in. Our network of libraries has decreased in recent years, reflecting a global trend for fewer library visitors, with people more likely to read books and newspapers digitally, instead of on paper.

Our refurbished library in Dhaka will aim to bridge these two concepts, as it will be both a physical and a virtual space. As well as an updated physical collection of books, CDs and DVDs, the new library will provide users with remote access to over 80,000 e-books and 14,000 e-journals. The same quiet reading and study areas will be there for those who need it, but the library will be also be used as a cultural and social space where people can come together to watch theatre and film screenings, or take part in workshops, seminars, meetings, author talks and fashion events.

The concept of the library continues to hold a special place of importance in people’s hearts - and recent developments, like the reinvention of the  Library of Birmingham  in the UK (which has two million visitors a year, and lends its digital collections to ten million people a year), have shown how a library can still be a huge source of pride.

The British Council has carried out a  Library Landscape Assessment of Bangladesh,  a year-long research project that aims for a complete understanding of what people in Bangladesh want from libraries and information services. The assessment supports the case for more investment and involves Bangladeshi government ministries,  BRAC , and the  Bengal Foundation .

You might also be interested in:

• Is digital education easily accessible to Bangladeshi girls?

View the discussion thread.

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Why Are Libraries Important? We’ll Give You 5 Reasons

What is “The Breakfast Club’s” timeless story without a school library? Who is Hermoine Granger without the magical stacks of books in the Hogwarts library? Where would “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” Paul Varjak tell Holly Golighty that he loves her — if not in the New York Public Library? 

Where does a community gather safely, find free and necessary resources, preserve the heart of a culture — without a library? 

You guessed it: I’m on my Dewey Decimal System soapbox. 

Libraries are at the crux of both social and physical American infrastructure; a crossroads where intellect and information meet space and access, a place where social services are actualized, and people are put above profit. 

However, our libraries are in dire need of funding, support, and maintenance.

How do libraries make money?

Most of us are aware that the literary world has changed dramatically in recent years, as the Amazon monopoly rears its many heads: bookselling, publishing, reading device development, and audiobook sales among them. Both independent booksellers and libraries have been impacted, even so far that books published under Amazon are not sold to libraries for folks to read for free. 

So, how do libraries even make money to operate? 

Public libraries are supported with state tax revenues, just like your local public school or road projects. Treated as a public good, libraries get a portion of this revenue to maintain their operations. However, this portion is often a very small percentage of the total tax revenue a state sees every year. 

For example, the Ohio Public Library reported that they received less than 1 percent of Ohio’s state tax revenue in 2020 (.53 percent, to be exact). In fact, the amount they received from the state was less than half of their total funding revenue.

This funding is crucial for more than just buying new books, but the upkeep of buildings, paying staff livable wages, providing ongoing community support and programming, and funding archival research and projects. The San Diego Library Master Plan framework outlines a $50 million library maintenance backlog . 

This deficit leaves many public library boards to do what they do best: get creative.

Many libraries will keep all operations free to patrons, but will charge late fees or book fines. This practice, however, is becoming less common, as libraries work to best serve low-income communities . 

Libraries also offer other “paid-for” services, as well as read-a-thon events, summer camps, book signings, book sales, or rentable spaces like conference rooms. 

Strategic partnerships and corporate sponsorships also allow libraries to raise funds, but as staff and board members struggle to maintain the integrity of their library systems,  the clear solution altogether is to prioritize government funding for libraries. 

How many libraries are in the United States?

There are over 16,000 public libraries in the United States , according to the American Library Association. 

While this may seem like a lot (there are more public libraries in America than McDonald’s or Starbucks restaurants!) the U.S. is 62nd on the list of countries with the most libraries per capita. 

These statistics indicate that, while libraries are plentiful (although perhaps not always spread out equitably), they are not prioritized or funded in the same way as other countries. 

This begs the question: do Americans truly not value their libraries, or do we just not know why they are so important? 

5 Reasons Libraries Are Important 

1. libraries support educational opportunities.

Libraries are commonly considered educational institutions, providing students and researchers the tools and resources they need to learn and study. 

In fact, libraries have long been dubbed “the people’s university,” for their equitable nature, bringing information and education to all people, regardless of socioeconomic status. 

Many of us envision our libraries full of books , encyclopedias, computers, and workspaces, but what we often neglect to include in that description is offerings like film and music, access to other learning avenues like local zoos or botanical gardens, 3D printers, WiFi hotspot lending programs, art lending programs , recording studios, or even blood pressure monitors . 

Libraries are not just spaces to borrow creative tools, but to make one’s own. Many institutions will hold writing workshops or other community events to teach patrons new skills or develop work in collaboration with other community members. Libraries have become spaces for people to set up a new podcast, write a zine , practice music, and more. 

Like the beloved cartoon aardvark Arthur Read says: “having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.”

Educational opportunities also manifest through the encouragement of civil discourse and dialogue. The Human Library project, developed in Denmark, is an initiative that “publishes people as open books” and allows members of the public to meet and communicate with people outside of their communities. 

This initiative has gone global , and many American libraries participate in this social program to keep people from judging each other “by their covers.”

Libraries are also increasingly expanding access to digital resources . As of 2018, over 90 percent of libraries offered digital loans , and resources like Libby , OverDrive , and Hoopla make these loans even more accessible.

Although many of us cherish the “old book smell” of a historical library setting, it’s valuable to keep in mind that libraries are continuously evolving to meet the needs of learners of all backgrounds. 

2. Libraries preserve cultural heritage and history

Speaking of people from all walks of life, libraries play a key role in preserving the cultural heritage and history of their communities. 

While not all libraries have archival services, those with professional archivists give patrons access to valuable historical stories and records that add tremendous value and context to their people. 

Organized archives allow people to research genealogy and immigration history, do environmental research, find maps, digitize records, and more. 

The National Archives funds a number of archival research projects across the country. 

3. Libraries provide access to necessary resources for marginalized communities

Access to archival resources is only a small portion of what libraries do for marginalized communities. Libraries have long been institutions for social good, gathering members of a community together to fill a need or find solutions. 

One basic service of a library is providing helpful materials to diverse populations, assisting non-English speakers, immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth , and disabled community members.

From American Sign Language and English As A Second Language courses, to citizenship information, or an anti-prom that welcomes LBGTQ+ high schoolers, libraries serve as gateways to new and welcoming communities and give marginalized folks the tools they need to become empowered.

Resources often extend beyond educational materials and into direct action, as libraries across the country host free library lunches for kids in need, farmer’s markets , seed lending programs , and even tool lending libraries , to give patrons access to items they otherwise may not be able to afford. 

Youth are also able to utilize libraries in creative ways, benefiting from tutoring services, afterschool programming, homework help, outdoor learning initiatives , and summer reading programs. 

Libraries are community-centered in a way few other institutions are; helping folks rebuild after disaster, feed their families, start a business, or simply feel seen and included for who they are.

4. Libraries are integral to the political and social life of a community

Public life and political discourse has long been a value of America’s libraries, as these institutions proudly advocate against banned books , and develop special collections to support niche groups. Libraries are hubs for democratic debate, social justice, and community action.

For example, an initiative in Baltimore aims to raise collective consciousness to decrease crime in the area. Librarians are training to learn de-escalation practices as a non-police avenue to reduce violence, aiming to train all Baltimore city employees with the same tools. This, along with avenues like the Baltimore Community Mediation Center for community members to work through disputes, serve as a case study for the social and political landscape libraries offer. 

Libraries are also used as polling places or ballot drop-off locations during elections, and often offer voting guides or public debates and forums, encouraging civic engagement . 

Students may participate in workshops or mock elections, and many public libraries hold voter registration events for community members. The American Library Association says: “informed citizens are engaged voters.”

5. Libraries are a safe and reliable space for all

While we’ve examined how libraries offer specific resources and offerings, one of the most valuable things libraries contribute to their communities is space. 

While libraries are not substitutes for shelters, counseling centers, or long-term systemic solutions to homelessness, they are vital to public health and safety, offering people experiencing homelessness a safe and dignified space throughout the day. 

Libraries are also integral for unhoused folks to find empowerment, using computers to apply for jobs and seek further assistance. While some folks may be unable to get a library card due to a lack of a permanent address, more resources are becoming widely available as public libraries work on the frontlines of the housing crisis. 

In addition to serving patrons experiencing poverty and homelessness, libraries are simply safe and meaningful spaces for all members of the community. 

Whether a library boasts grand architecture or modest design, the physical space of a library has a way of communicating our underlying values, The Public Library Association suggests: that libraries, information, and shared community space matter.

Libraries are at the heart of American infrastructure. They deserve better.

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Friday essay: why libraries can and must change

Associate Professor in Media, University of Notre Dame Australia

Disclosure statement

Camilla Nelson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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There is a chapter towards the end of Stuart Kells’s The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders , in which the author envisions the library of the future as one in which “dreary hordes of students” stare mindlessly at “computers and reading machines”, ignorant of the more refined pleasures of paper and ink, vellum and leather.

This – the death of the book – is a familiar lament recounted by bibliophiles everywhere; a tragic epic in which the Goliath of technology slays the David of art and culture.

It may be superficially appealing to some. And yet, it misses the reality that writing itself is also a technology. Along with the wheel and the lever, it is one of the greatest technologies ever invented. The history of writing predates the invention of the book. It parallels and is a part of the history of other technological forms.

The history of the library is replete with mechanical marvels.

Take, for example, the book wheel , the scholar’s technology of the 16th century, an ingenious mechanical device operated by foot or hand controls, allowing a reader to move backwards and forwards across editions and volumes, referencing many different books as quickly possible.

Closer to our own century, there’s the Book Railways of the Boston Public Library installed in 1895, with tracks laid around every level of the stack to transport books. Or the ultra-modern teletype machine and conveyor belt used to convey book requests by the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1927. Or the current book retrieval system used at the University of Chicago, which boasts a system of robotic cranes .

Unlike Kells, I think there is a fabulous quality to the dream of an infinite library that can assemble itself in bits and bytes wherever a reader calls it into being. It sits well with the democratic dream of mass literacy.

It may well take an archaeologist – working a thousand years from now – a lifetime to unlock the data in our already defunct floppy discs and CD Roms. Then again, it took several hundred years of patient work before Jean-François Champollion deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs in 1822, and even longer for Henry Rawlinson to unlock the secrets of the cuneiform scripts of ancient Mesopotamia.

Of course, Kells’s new book is not a history of reading or writing. It is a history of books as artefacts. It tells of books of doubtful or impeccable provenance, discovered in lost libraries or inaccessible private collections, purloined by book thieves, or crazed and nefarious book collectors, or at the behest of rich or royal patrons. It is a narrative – albeit with an unfortunate, cobbled together quality – brimming with strange anecdotes about a small handful of books owned by a small handful of people; lost books yielding strange surprises, from discarded condoms to misplaced dental appointment slips.

Kells’s favoured haunts are the chained libraries of medieval monks, and the bawdy or scandalous collections of wealthy 18th century patrons. The library of St Gall , for example, which houses one of the largest medieval collections in the world. Or the Bodleian at Oxford, which was never intended to be an inclusive collection, but rather, as its founder Thomas Bodley put it, sought to exclude “almanackes, plaies, and an infinit number” of other “unworthy matters” which he designated “baggage bookes” and “riff-raffe”.

I am a great lover of books. I have been lucky enough to while away the hours in libraries from Beijing to St Petersburg, Belgrade and Buenos Aires. But in an age of economic disparity and privatised public services – of pay walls, firewalls and proprietary media platforms, not to mention Google and Amazon – it is difficult to feel convinced by this bibliophile’s nostalgic reveries.

Embodying an idea of society

More than 20 years ago, when I was living in New York, eking out a living as a copyeditor and more often as a waitress, I became a regular at the 42nd Street Library (also known as the New York Public Library), on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, a few blocks from the apartment that I shared in Midtown.

It was not just the size of the collection that drew me in – the 120 kilometres of bookshelves housing one of the largest collections in the world – or the ornate ceilings of the main reading room, which ran the length of a city block, with 42 oak tables for 636 readers, the bookish dimness interrupted by the quiet glow of reading lamps. I was fascinated by the library’s pneumatic system .

This labyrinthine contraption, which had been state-of-the-art around the dawn of the 20th century, sent call slips flying up and around through brass tubes descending deep underground – down seven stories of steel-reinforced book stacks where the book was found, then sent up on an oval shaped conveyor belt to arrive in the reading room.

The pneumatic system – with its air of retro, steampunk or defunct book technology – seemed to intimate the dream of a future that had been discarded, or, at least, never actually arrived. Libraries are not just collections of books, but social, cultural and technological institutions. They house not only books but also the idea of a society.

The predecessors of the New York Public Library, the Carnegie libraries of the 1880s, were not just book stacks but also community centres with public baths, bowling alleys, billiard rooms, and in at least one strange instance – at the Allegheny library in Pittsburgh – a rifle range in the basement.

Earlier in the 18th century, with the rise of industrial printing technologies and the spread of mass literacy, not only libraries but as many as a thousand book clubs sprang up through Europe. They were highly social, if occasionally rowdy places, offering a space not only for men but also women to gather. Monthly dinners were a common feature. Book club rules included penalties for drunkenness and swearing.

So too, the fabled Library of Alexandria – where Eratosthenes invented the discipline of geography and Archimedes calculated the accurate value of Pi – was not a collection of scrolls but a centre of innovation and learning. It was part of a larger museum with botanical gardens, laboratories, living quarters and lecture halls. Libraries are social places.

Lost libraries

Kells’s Catalogue of Wonders is at its best when it recounts the stories of these ancient libraries, charting the accidental trails of books, and therefore ideas, through processes of translating, pirating and appropriation. And the trades and technologies of papermaking that enabled them.

The library of the Pharaoh Ramses II in the second millennium BCE contained books of papyrus, palm leaves, bone, bark, ivory linen and stone. But “in other lands and other times,” Kells writes,

books would also be made from silk, gems, plastic, silicon, bamboo, hemp, rags, glass, grass, wood, wax, rubber, enamel, iron, copper, silver, gold, turtle shell, antlers, hair, rawhide and the intestines of elephants.

One sheep, he says, yields a single folio sheet. A bible requires 250. The Devil’s Bible , a large 13th-century manuscript from Bohemia, was made from the skin of 160 donkeys.

Ptolemy founded the Library of Alexandria around 300 BCE, on a spit of land between a lake and the man-made port of Pharos. He sent his agents far and wide with messages to kings and emperors, asking to borrow and copy books.

There are many stories about the dissolution of this library: that it was burnt by invading Roman soldiers or extremist Christians or a pagan revolt – or that a caliph ordered the books be burnt to heat the waters of the urban bathhouses. Or just as likely, as Kells points out, the scrolls, which were made of fragile papyrus, simply disintegrated.

But the knowledge contained in the scrolls never entirely disappeared. Even as the collection dissipated, a brisk trade in pirated scrolls copied out in a nearby merchant’s district ensured that the works eventually found their way to Greece and Constantinople, where other libraries would maintain them for another thousand years.

Destroyed collections

One thing that Kells fails to address in his book is the problems that arise when books are excluded, destroyed, censored and forgotten. And, indeed, when libraries are decimated.

Any list of destroyed libraries makes startling reading: The libraries of Constantinople sacked by the Crusaders, the Maya codices destroyed by Franciscan monks, the libraries of Beijing and Shanghai destroyed by occupying Japanese forces, the National Library of Serbia destroyed by the Nazi Luftwaffe, the Sikh Library of the Punjab destroyed at the behest of Indira Gandhi, the Library of Cambodia destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

More recently, thousands of priceless manuscripts were burnt in the Timbuktu library in Mali and rare books spanning centuries of human learning were burnt at the University of Mosul. Yet more book burnings have been conducted by ISIS, in a reign of cultural devastation that includes museums, archaeological sites, shrines and mosques.

There is also destruction for which the so called “Coalition of the Willing” must accept responsibility. Dr Saad Eskander, the Director of the Iraq National Library and Archive, reported the devastation of the library in a diary posted on the British Library website: archival materials 60% lost, rare books 95% lost, manuscripts 25% lost.

There may be something not quite right in mourning the death of books in a time of war, as people are dying. But the problem remains that without books and documents, the history of the world can be rewritten.

Indeed, as Iraqi librarians sought to preserve the bookish remains of their country in the still working freezer of a bombed out Iraqi officer’s club, the US military quietly airlifted the archives of the Baathist Secret Police out of the country.

These are the dark places where, as George Orwell once said, the clocks strike thirteen, and Kells does not go.

Of course, the great irony of censorship and book burning is that books are destroyed because it is believed that they are important, and they possess a certain power.

Libraries of the future

In the age of the globalisation of everything – and the privatisation of everything else – libraries can and must change. It is seldom discussed that one of the great destroyers of books are actually libraries themselves, bearing cost cuts, and space limitations. But this process can be ameliorated by companies such as Better World Books that divert library books from landfill, finding new owners and funding literacy initiatives – you can even choose a carbon neutral footprint at the checkout.

Libraries, by which I mean public libraries that are free, open and accessible, will not become extinct, even though they face new competition from the rise of private libraries and the Internet. Libraries will not turn into mausoleums and reliquaries, because they serve a civic function that extends well beyond the books they hold.

Libraries can and must change. Quiet study areas are being reduced, replaced not only by computer rooms but also by social areas that facilitate group discussions and convivial reading. There will be more books transferred to offsite storage, but there will also be more ingenious methods of getting these books back to readers.

There will be an emphasis on opening rare books collections to greater numbers of readers. There is and must be greater investment in digital collections. Your mobile phone will no longer be switched off in the library, but may well be the very thing that brings the library to you in your armchair.

The much heralded “death of the book” has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It is about a radical transformation in reading practices. New technologies are taking books and libraries to places that are, as yet, unimaginable. Where there will undoubtedly be new wonders to catalogue.

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Student Opinion

What Role Do Libraries Play in Your Life?

Do you use the library to borrow or download books? Connect to the internet? Find a quiet place to read, study or work?

By Shannon Doyne

How often do you go to your school or local public library? What do you use it for?

The illustration at the top of this post reads: “You may think the library is a place only for books. Well, today you will learn it’s much more than just nooks.”

Have you ever attended children’s programming or other events at a library? Taken a class? Gone to check out books or other materials? Spent time in the quiet, studying, reading or working?

Two recent Times pieces show us the many resources, opportunities and spaces libraries have to offer. In an illustrated article, “ An Ode to the Public Library ,” Haruka Aoki writes about some of these things:

And in an Opinion essay, “ Thankful for Libraries ,” Charles M. Blow shares how vital these institutions have been for him:

But particularly for these kinds of people, living in rural areas, libraries can be an incredible tool. When I was a senior in high school, I won my way to the International Science and Engineering Fair. That year, 1988, it was being held in Knoxville, Tenn. It was the first time I would fly and the first time I would travel far from home. Determined not to expose myself as a hick, I went to the library in Arcadia and checked out every book of etiquette on the shelves. They were familiar to me, reference books, books of rules that in my mind were the only thing separating me from the appearance of refinement and sophistication. I devoured those books. I guess you could say that now, all that information can be found online, but high-speed broadband is not as ubiquitous as you might think. In 2019 the Pew Charitable Trusts explained that the number of Americans without broadband “could be over 163 million,” and that included 40 percent of schools and 44 percent of adults in households with incomes below $30,000.

He continues:

Again in college, it was in libraries that I found myself, not only physically but spiritually. It was in books in the college library that I first saw and read about openly queer people, that I first read about the Stonewall riots and the gay rights movement. The books were stored in a corner of the library that almost no one seemed to visit, but I went there often. In the stacks, I learned that my difference wasn’t anomalous. Up to that point, even in college, I had never met a person who was openly queer.

Students, read one or both of these pieces, then tell us:

What are your earliest memories of visiting a library? Who was with you? Did you borrow books? Do you remember any impressions of that visit?

Do you currently frequent the library at your school or in your neighborhood? If so, what do you do there? What do you like or dislike about the library? If you don’t visit libraries, what other spaces in your life serve the purposes described in these articles?

What role does reading play in your life? Has it changed over time? Do you read books outside of the classroom? If so, how do you obtain them? Do you borrow or download books from the library, buy them yourself or pass them around among family and friends?

Mr. Blow says that “it was in libraries that I found myself, not only physically but spiritually.” Have you ever had an experience in a library like the one he described? If so, what was it, and how has it affected your life?

Mr. Blow also writes, “In an era of increased book banning, library defunding and even bomb threats, it seems that now more than ever I ought to make clear how valuable and central libraries have been to my life and success.” Do you feel like libraries are under fire in your community? Have you witnessed or heard about book bans, budget cuts or threats of violence at your local library? What about at school? How, in your opinion, should situations like those be handled? Why?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

The Public Library Narrative Essay

Introduction, the services provided by the public library, the cooperation with political and governmental structures, reference list.

Rapid development of information technologies, especially Internet and various social changes contributed to the decline of public library usage in the United States and many other countries (Goulding 2006, p. 112). This trend urges these organizations to improve their practices and find new ways of attracting visitors.

This paper is aimed at describing an imaginary public library that will serve the needs of a middle-sized city with a population of 150,000 people. In particular, it is necessary to identify the major services that it will provide. Secondly, this essay will explain how this institution will cooperate with other public libraries and governmental structures. Thirdly, one has to explain the principles that will govern this organization.

One should note that this organization will operate in the environment which does not yet exist. This means that this institution will not have to face budgetary constraints as it is often done by public libraries. Secondly, it will work in the environment in which the government fully appreciates the educational importance of such organizations and supports them.

First, we should say that this organization will be a part of a large library system. The thing is that such networking enables libraries to better share resources and information (Wilson 1992, p. 166). It is particularly important when we speak about books or periodicals.

Secondly, these institutions will able to share information about user’s most common requests. As it has been said before, this organization will work in a middle-sized city. Its population will have various educational, informational, and developmental needs and this library will serve these needs.

At this point, it is necessary to speak about these functions in more detail. First of all, this public library will support those people who pursue their education. In this case, one can mention school, college, or university students and those people who want to acquire new knowledge in their professional area (McClure & Jaeger 2009, p. 50).

The readers of this library will represent various age groups. They will be able to find literature related to their areas of study. Admittedly, this organization cannot be compared to a research library in which a collection is focused on one or two specific subjects. The books and articles stored in this public library will be related to a variety of scientific disciplines or liberal arts.

Another type of services will be related to the informational needs of the clients. These needs can very heterogeneous, and it is rather difficult to identify each of them. The readers must be provided access to a variety of printed and online sources of information. The staff of this library will also help clients develop their information literary skills.

In other words, these visitors must know how to access and evaluate various sources of information and assess their validity (Roman& Fiore 2010, p. 27). This issue is particularly important for children and adolescents. On the whole, these skills are indispensible for a modern person who has to cope with information overload. Thus, the employees of this public library must show not only where one can find information but also how it can be done.

Thirdly, this library will facilitate personal development of the readers. The visitors will be provided with access to various “works of imagination” which can include the best examples of the world literature and sometimes even cinematography or music (Dewe 2006, p. 18).

This is the practice adopted in many public libraries. In addition to that, this library will attempt to increase people’s awareness about health, law, environment, society, and so forth (Dewe 2006, p. 18). In this case, the developmental needs of an individual can be linked to the social problems faced by the community. So, these are some of the services that this library will offer to the clients.

There are several distinctive features of this organization that are worth discussing. For example, this library will have a multi-media collection. The clients will be able to request various printed sources, E-books, disks, or audiobooks. The use of multimedia can be of great importance to those people with disabilities, for example, with visual impairments (Barker 2011, p. 9).

This public library will attempt to provide opportunities for people, whose problems prevent them from reading printed sources of information. For example, it might be necessary to install screen readers on computers in order to help some of the visitors. This organization will try to pursue the policies of social inclusion, rather than exclusion.

The second aspect is that this functioning of this public library will be based on proper utilization of information technologies. For instance, this library will have a digitized catalog that will help the clients search for books or periodicals. Furthermore, the visitors will also be able to use various online databases. The information technologies will greatly improve the storage and retrieval of information (Carnegie & Abell 2009). They will be essential for the effective functioning of this organization.

Another important peculiarity is the emphasis on self-service (Downes, 2010). The patrons of this library will not have to ask the permission of the librarian when they need to use Internet or when they have to check out books. On the whole, one can single out several things which are indispensible for the effective functioning of this organization, namely, multimedia sources, increased use of information technologies, and simplified procedures.

There are several rational for adopting these strategies. First, public libraries have to focus on the needs of the visitors rather than bureaucratic rules (Mathews 2009, p. 8).

Moreover, these organizations have to keep a close track of technological changes. Moreover, they must try to include every member of the community. This is why it is necessary to adopt the technologies which can help people with disabilities. However, this public library can have these resources only if the local authorities and government in general are willing to support them.

This organization will not be isolated from governmental or political structures. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to create a public library that will be financially independent of the local or federal government. Therefore, to some extent, this institution will be accountable to governmental institutions, for example, the board of directors who represent the city council. As a rule, public libraries have to report and justify their expenses or explain the reasons for structural changes if they do occur (Koontz & Gubbin 2010, p. 24).

This governing body will be responsible for decisions related to the general strategy rather than daily operations, rather than daily operations. The main issue is that those people, who are on the board of directors, must be proficient in librarianship and the management of non-profit organization (Koontz & Gubbin 2010, p. 24).

If they do not have these skills, it is quite likely that the chief librarian and the directors will have significant disagreements. Hopefully, the administrators of this library will be more or less autonomous from political or governmental structures. This autonomy is indispensible for the effective management of this organization.

The second issue, which is also very important, is the political structure of the public library. It seems to me that such organizations must be able to distance themselves from politics.

Certainly, they should promote liberal or democratic values; however, they should not be strongly affected by the world of politics. Apart from that, this public library will be accountable to the community, in general. The management of this organization must explain how they can improve the experiences of the visitors and what efforts are made in order to achieve this goal.

Overall, the public library described in this paper can come into existence on condition that the federal and local governments decide to pay more attention to the needs of such institutions, especially when one is speaking about the funding of these organizations. This essay has described the key features that the public library should have.

Among them one can single out the adoption of multimedia, increased usage of information technologies, and simplified procedures. Although, this organization will be accountable to local government, its administrators will have a high degree of autonomy. Hopefully, the idea of such hypothetical library can be implemented in a real-life environment.

Barker, D. (2011). On The Outside Looking In: Public Libraries Serving Young People With Disabilities. Aplis, 24 (1), 9-16.

Carnegie, T. M., & Abell, J. (2009). Information, Architecture, and Hybridity: The Changing Discourse of the Public Library. Technical Communication Quarterly, 18 (3), 242-258.

Dewe, M. (2006). Planning public library buildings: concepts and issues for the librarian. London: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Downes, A. (2010). Putting readers first: frontline training in Victoria. Aplis, 23 (4), 132-140.

Goulding, A. (2006). Public libraries in the 21st century: defining services and debating the future. NY: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Koontz, C. & Gubbin, B. (2010). IFLA public library service guidelines . London: Walter de Gruyter.

Matthews, J. (2009). The Customer-Focused Library: Re-Inventing the Library from the Outside-In . NY: ABC-CLIO.

McClure, C. & Jaeger, P. (2009). Public libraries and Internet service roles: measuring and maximizing Internet services . Washington: ALA Editions.

Roman, S., & Fiore, C. D. (2010). Do Public Library Summer Reading Programs Close the Achievement Gap? Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children, 8 (3), 27-31.

Wilson, T. (1992). Impact of technology on resource sharing: experimentation and maturity . NY: Routledge.

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IvyPanda. (2022, May 25). The Public Library. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-public-library/

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Bibliography

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Essay on Library: 100, 200 and 250 Words

• Updated on  
• Jan 23, 2024

A Library is a place where students and people interested in reading books visit very often. It constitutes several collections of books of variable genres to please the reader. The library is the in-person source of information. It is an easily accessible place for students and raiders. Every school and college has a library with multiple books. Besides that, it is economical for the students. This article will provide an essay on library for students and children studying in schools. Enjoy Reading.

This Blog Includes:

Sample essay on library, 100 words essay on library, 200-250 words essay on library.

Also Read: English Essay Topics

The library is an important place for the community. It includes books, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts, DVDs, and more such informational sources. It plays a significant role in the kid’s learning phase. Despite the advancement in technology , the library still plays a critical role in everyone’s life. One can borrow books from the library. There are two types of libraries one is a private library that is controlled by the school and college authorities, whereas the other is a public library that is open to all. 

A library is a place where books belonging to different subjects and genres are stored. My school also has a very big library next to the computer lab. Our timetable is designed in such as format that we could visit the library twice a week and explore books apart from our syllabus. This practice of visiting and exploring books in the library induces a habit of reading in all the students.

My school library has autobiographies, picture books, comics, novels, fictional books, books on culture, art, and craft, and many other materials. Students can borrow the desirable book to read for one week and then, on a specific date we need to return that book to the school library.  Thus, the library teaches us the value and importance of books and inculcates the habit of reading and imparting knowledge.

Also Read: Bachelor of Library Science

The library is the place where people come together to learn and gain knowledge. Books are arranged on large bookshelves. Books belonging to similar genres are arranged on the same shelf by the librarian. The librarian is in charge of the library.

Some libraries have digital software to keep track of books issued and received to and from the library. Owing to technological advances, books are nowadays available on online platforms. Readers can read the book on apps like Kindle. But still, the library has its role, it is easily accessible plus it will provide a trustworthy source of information. 

Good raiders prefer books to read in their physical form as they cherish the quality of pages, type of writing , and the authenticity of book covers. Thus, the library plays an important role in the student’s as well as adults’ life.

Every school allots specific hours for students to visit and read books from the library so that they can induce reading habits from childhood itself. Students also refer to books from the library to complete their assignments or summer vacation homework. 

There are set rules and regulations of the library. Generally, we are not allowed to talk so that readers won’t get distracted and lose their pace of reading. Besides that, if any book issued from the library gets misplaced, damaged, or lost from the borrower then, he/she has to pay a fine to the librarian. 

Thus, the library is an excellent resource for books that spread knowledge and information along with entertainment . 

Popular Essay Topics for Students

A. The library plays a critical part in every individual starting from the school itself. It helps in developing the overall personality because reading books and gaining knowledge help people to make a good career.

A. Include points like what is a library, why books are important, and the importance of a library in the life of students and children. Divide your essay into three parts introduction, body, and conclusion. End the concluding paragraph on a positive note. 

This was all about an essay on library. For more information on such interesting topics, visit our  essay writing  page and follow  Leverage Edu .

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Essay on A Visit to a Public Library

Students are often asked to write an essay on A Visit to a Public Library in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on A Visit to a Public Library

Introduction.

A visit to a public library is always an enriching experience. It’s a place filled with knowledge and wisdom, where silence is golden.

First Impression

Upon entering, the vast collection of books instantly catches the eye. The neatly arranged shelves and the distinct smell of books create a welcoming atmosphere.

Exploring the Library

The library is divided into various sections like fiction, non-fiction, reference, and children’s books. One can find books on various subjects, catering to different interests.

A visit to a public library is a journey through the world of knowledge. It’s a place that encourages learning and fosters a love for reading.

250 Words Essay on A Visit to a Public Library

The public library, an emblem of knowledge, offers a serene environment for intellectual nourishment. The visit to a public library is an experience that transcends the mere act of reading, providing a unique space for contemplation and discovery.

The Majestic Exterior

The library’s exterior often reflects a grand architectural design, symbolizing the importance of knowledge in society. The imposing structure, often adorned with intricate carvings or modern aesthetics, invites visitors into its silent, yet eloquent world.

The Interior Ambience

Inside, the library is a sanctuary of silence, where the rustling of pages and faint whispers become the only audible sounds. The neatly arranged shelves, filled with countless books, create a labyrinth of knowledge, waiting to be explored.

The Visitors

The library is a melting pot of diverse individuals, from students engrossed in academic research to elderly patrons leisurely browsing newspapers. Each visitor, absorbed in their private world of words, contributes to the library’s tranquil yet vibrant atmosphere.

The Library Staff

The library staff, often overlooked, play a significant role in maintaining this intellectual haven. They assist visitors, manage the vast collection, and ensure the library remains a conducive environment for learning and reflection.

A visit to a public library is a journey through the corridors of knowledge. It is not merely a place to read, but a space that fosters learning, encourages intellectual curiosity, and celebrates diversity. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the library remains a testament to the enduring power of books and the value of quiet contemplation.

500 Words Essay on A Visit to a Public Library

Public libraries are a cornerstone of a functioning democratic society, providing access to knowledge and information to all, regardless of their socio-economic status. A visit to a public library is not just an experience, but a journey into the world of wisdom and enlightenment.

The First Impression

The moment one steps into a public library, they are greeted by an overwhelming sense of tranquility. The silence is punctuated by the rustle of pages being turned, the soft whispers of librarians, and the occasional tapping of keys. The smell of books, both old and new, fills the air, creating an atmosphere of intellectual pursuit.

The Architecture and Layout

A typical public library is architecturally designed to facilitate learning and reading. High ceilings, wide spaces, and well-lit rooms create a conducive environment for concentration. The layout is usually systematic, with books arranged according to genres, authors, or the Dewey Decimal Classification, making it easy for patrons to find what they are looking for.

The Heart of the Library: The Books

The books, undoubtedly, are the soul of a public library. They range from fiction to non-fiction, academic to leisure reads, classics to contemporary works. The variety caters to the diverse interests of the library’s patrons. The act of browsing through the stacks, discovering new titles, authors, and subjects, is an experience unparalleled.

Other Facilities

Apart from books, a public library offers a host of other facilities. There are computers with internet access, periodicals, audio-visual materials, and even spaces for group discussions or study. Some libraries also host workshops, book clubs, and other events, fostering a sense of community among its members.

The Role of Librarians

Librarians play a pivotal role in enhancing the library experience. They guide patrons, recommend books, manage resources, and ensure the library functions smoothly. Their knowledge and expertise make them invaluable assets to the library ecosystem.

In the digital age, where information is readily available at our fingertips, one might question the relevance of public libraries. However, a visit to one reveals that they are more than just repositories of books. They are democratic spaces that promote learning, encourage intellectual curiosity, and foster social interaction. A public library is not just a place, but a testament to the collective pursuit of knowledge and the power of community.

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Libraries are pillars of knowledge. Columbus Metropolitan Library proof.

A t the risk of overshadowing the coming solar eclipse, especially with totality here for the first time in 200 years, this also is great time to talk instead about a radiant force in Ohio, and that’s our public libraries.

This week, more than 6,500 library professionals from across the state and the country will gather in Columbus for the biennial Public Library Association Conference, featuring a full schedule of conversations about how libraries are meeting community needs in new ways.

Spectacular and dangerous. How to safely enjoy 2024 solar eclipse.

Public libraries have long served as pillars of knowledge, offering equitable access to resources, fostering lifelong learning, and encouraging boundless exploration. These qualities are even more important today as technology is changing rapidly and keeping up can be challenging and costly.

More than 200 years of service to Columbus

Consider the Columbus Metropolitan Library , a true testament to libraries' enduring legacy. From its origins as a modest reading room with one librarian in 1873, it has blossomed into a network of 23 locations, circulating a staggering 13 million physical items and hosting 3.8 million e-content uses.

Literacy and reading are fundamental to libraries, as is ensuring that everyone has the right to choose the books they want to read. Library workers at more than 17,000 public library locations nationwide fill the shelves with resources that reflect the rich tapestry of our communities.

And because libraries are hyperlocal, services and programs are tailored to the diverse interests and needs of our communities, as well. From cultural programs and educational workshops to job training initiatives and social services, libraries serve as invaluable resources for individuals from all walks of life.

Parents have their pick of story times, students are using makerspaces and 3D printers, writers are attending author workshops, musicians are reserving instruments, and gardeners are borrowing from seed libraries.

As communities adapt to change, libraries do, too, and they’re uniquely positioned to work alongside state and local partners to address essential needs.

The 2022 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Survey found that virtually all libraries (98%) have at least one external partnership, including schools, public agencies, and nonprofits.

More: Dispatch partners with Columbus Metropolitan Library to bring trove of history to the public

Through collaborations with the Children's Hunger Alliance, for instance, Columbus Metropolitan Library provides free lunches to over 107,000 children, ensuring no child goes hungry in our community. Increasingly, libraries nationwide also are working with schools of social work and their interns and graduates to address the holistic needs of our patrons.

Even in a digital age, our physical spaces are essential hubs and deserve our investments. Columbus Metropolitan Library hosted 4.9 million visits last year; nationwide it’s more than 1.2 billion. And libraries increasingly are meeting learners where they are, be it in schools or on buses.

Columbus library puts school reading assistants, in classrooms to work one on one with students from schools like French Run Elementary to improve reading and writing skills that suffered during COVID.

With Read and Ride, Central Ohio Transit Authority riders have free smartphone access to library eBooks and eAudiobooks.

Since 2019, when Public Library Association, selected Columbus to host the conference, libraries have embodied and emboldened their communities in so many ways.

We look forward to sharing experiences and ideas about topics ranging from serving adults with disabilities to growing LGBTIQA+ programs, enhancing multilingual resources, improving teen services, creating activities for veterans, and boosting technology access and skills.

Vibrant cities and towns are made even brighter by vibrant libraries. They teach us, reassure us, inspire us, and strengthen us — ALL of us.

Come see for yourself.

National Library Week, April 7-13, is a great time to explore your local branch, where solar eclipse glasses are available while supplies last.

And we’ll be certain to have them again when the next one arrives in 2099.

Patrick Losinski is chief executive officer of Columbus Metropolitan Library. Sonia Alcántara-Antoine is president of the Public Library Association and director of Baltimore County (Maryland) Public Library.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Libraries are pillars of knowledge. Columbus Metropolitan Library proof.

Moscow 1959: USC Center on Public Diplomacy Publishes Essay by Libraries Curator

• Bill Dotson
• Feb 25, 2010

The Center on Public Diplomacy at USC Annenberg publishes a series of working papers by staff, fellows, and visiting scholars titled CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy. USC Libraries curator Andrew Wulf is a fellow at the CPD and recently published a working paper in the January issue of CPD Perspectives, "Moscow '59: The "Sokolniki Summit" Revisited." Wulf's essay, which is available online, explores the significance of the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow for the United States' cultural diplomacy efforts during the Cold War.

Essay on Library and Its Uses in English for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Library and Its Uses: Library is the physical building or a room with the collection of books and resources accessible to a community. It consists of books and resources on diverse genres and subjects. Libraries are important for healthy development of society. It provide valuable services to meet the learning needs of the people. Libraries also benefit the economy of our nation as people use them for research purposes and to improve their job skills. They play an essential part in overall educational development of people and community.

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Almost every educational institute around the world has a library, with facilities of reading and issuance of books at very low charges. Many communities or societies also have their own libraries, open for membership to all. Libraries play a significant role in spreading knowledge and keeping the reading habit alive in people.

Long and Short Essay on Library and Its Uses in English

Here are long and short essay on library and its uses of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exams/school assignments.

After going through the essays you will understand the advantages of a library and role that it plays in the overall mental and educational development of an individual as well as a community.

You can select any Library and Its Uses Essay according to your need:

Short Essay on Library and Its Uses – Essay 1 (200 words)

Library is a storehouse of books. It also provides various other sources of information for reading in its premises as well as borrowing for home. The collection of library can include books, manuscripts, magazines, periodicals, videos, audios, DVDs and various other formats. Wide range of books are stored in a library and well organized in book shelves.

It is not possible for an individual to have such a wide collection of books at home. One can get access to diverse genres of books and other resources in library. It shuns the need to buy expensive books and resources. If there were no libraries many students who love to read would have been deprived of reading mostly due to financial difficulties.

Library is an important part of every educational institute such as schools, colleges and universities. Such a library is open for students of the particular institute it forms a part of. Therefore it contains a wide range of resources vital for the students.

Libraries attract people to read and develop habit of reading and learning. It increases their thirst for reading and expands knowledge. Library is also essential for any kind of research on different subjects.

Thus, libraries are important for research, information, knowledge and pleasure of reading. Libraries provide perfect environment to enjoy read peacefully.

Essay on Library Uses and Importance – Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction.

Library is a place where there is huge collection of books and various other resources that are made accessible for reading and reference purpose. People of every age group can find resources such as books, magazines, periodicals, audios, videos and materials in other formats as per their reading interests and tastes.

Uses of Libraries

Library provides access to various books, materials, resources and digital media for research, information and knowledge. Libraries also provide services such as assistance in finding books of one’s interest which can be done with the help of librarians.

Besides, they provide space and environment to facilitate individual or group studies and collaboration. Libraries are extending their services by providing access to digital means and services by librarians in navigating and assisting with various resources of information. Libraries are becoming a center where people can engage in learning, enjoy reading and explore their interest in different subjects.

Importance of Libraries

Libraries play a vital role in encouraging and promoting the process of learning and gaining knowledge. People who love reading can have access to a wide range of books and resources. Libraries provide educational resources to everyone. Reading improves social skills, knowledge, mental health, academic performance and offers numerous other benefits. Library is a common platform for people with diverse reading interests and capacities. People get an opportunity to learn and progress as per their interests and capabilities. Library is the best place to spend leisure time wisely that leads to the overall development and well-being of an individual.

Thus, libraries are important and have different uses for different individuals. Libraries cultivate reading habits and promote progress of knowledge. However library is a perfect place to indulge in the pleasure of reading and for researching. Nowadays, librarians provide complete assistance and guidance with researching and navigating information.

Essay on Pros and Cons of Library – Essay 3 (400 words)

Libraries are buildings filled with stacks of books and resources. Modern day libraries also consist of electronic resources. Libraries offer wealth of knowledge, resources, space and environment to discover the world of books and enjoy studying or just reading for pleasure. The benefits of libraries are countless as they play a vital role in helping people by providing access to information, knowledge and entertainment resources. However, they do have a downside too. Here we have discussed few pros and cons of libraries:

Pros of Libraries

• Virtual libraries provide immediate access to wide range of books and resources. Libraries provide materials in all formats such as books, periodicals, magazines, videos, audios and digital media. The resources are customized and tailored to meet the needs of learners’ community. The wide range of resources meets the need of diverse users with diverse needs.
• Whether in educational or public library people benefit from the assistance of librarians and staff members. There is head librarian in every library and a team of professional staff who helps people with queries and also recommend books as per their interest.
• Libraries are always catalogued by trained staff. They are catalogued to meet the needs of the community. The catalogue is also entered and stored in computers so that it becomes easy for the users to search.
• Libraries have positive impact on the development of our society. They open a world of books and resources of information and knowledge to people for free.

Cons of Libraries

• Libraries require lot of staff and real estate to house various books and resources. It becomes really expensive to maintain libraries and the library staff. Since they are not seen as crucial, they are likely to bear budget cuts.
• Since a wide range of books and resources are to be maintained and updated in old libraries the useful resources may be limited due the time it takes to update. So, the libraries may not sometimes have access to the current information.
• Some limited edition books and journals from centuries ago may not be available in every library. People looking for such resources must visit traditional libraries for the same.

Some argue that there is technology to read online and do research so what is the need to visit library. Yet libraries have served the communities since centuries by providing original and quality resources. People who have the habit of visiting and using libraries understand the value and importance of libraries. In addition to it, there are people who love reading but cannot afford to buy many books and resources. They can get easy access to valuable resources in libraries.

Essay on School Library and Its Benefits for Students – Essay 4 (500 words)

School library is the library within the school where students, teachers and other staff members have access to books and other resources. Therefore the purpose of school library is to ensure equitable access to books, resources and information technology to all the members of the school. Over the history libraries have played essential role in imparting knowledge. They develop social, educational and cultural growth of the students.

School libraries are different from other public and private libraries as they mainly support and extend school curriculum. School libraries support students’ learning and have positive impact on students’ academic achievements. Teachers and students need library resources and services for knowledge and success. School library supports both teachers and students and is vital for teaching and learning process.

Benefits of School Library for Students

• School library supports students by providing various study materials and encouraging them to read. School library is an important source of knowledge for the students. Reading frequently in libraries improves vocabulary and develops reading and writing skills of the students.
• Students get access to wide range of books and resources essential for reference, knowledge, learning and entertainment. Therefore they can choose from diverse books as per their own interest and learning purpose.
• School libraries encourage students for independent learning and help them explore their interests.
• Libraries are essential for the educational and personal development of the students. It impacts positively on the academic performance and achievements of the students.
• Besides assisting teachers in research and supporting the students in their studies, libraries help in developing reading habits and provide information and knowledge to enrich learning experience. Libraries encourage fiction reading that helps students develop habit of reading for pleasure and enhances students’ intellectual, cultural, artistic and emotional growth.
• Library is an appropriate place for the students to study and research without any disturbance. It also provides the perfect environment for students to read for pleasure. Reading is important for the overall growth and mental development of the students.
• Books can be borrowed for further reading to get in depth knowledge on subjects of interest or simply to enjoy reading. There are general knowledge books that students can read to develop their mind. Reading is a good habit that boosts confidence in students.
• Students can take reference from the books and resources to complete their school projects and assignments. They can refer books to make notes for learning and to prepare for exams.

The purpose of school libraries is to support students in learning process. Not only students but libraries also facilitate teachers with access to relevant sources and information for reference and research. Library staff collaborates with teachers to plan, implement and evaluate study programs that will ensure students acquire necessary skills to compete and progress in this fast paced world. Libraries are important part of every educational institute as they provide the right support to students and teachers. However education and library go hand in hand and are inseparable. Library is the essential leap in the development of literacy provided to students in classrooms.

Long Essay on Library and Its Uses – Essay 5 (600 words)

Library is the collection of books and sources of information made accessible to people for borrowing or reference purpose. The collection of libraries can include books, magazines, newspapers, films, audios, DVDs, maps, manuscripts, e-books and various other formats. Library is organized and maintained by individual, institution or public body. Public and institutional libraries provide their collection of resources and services to people who need material they cannot otherwise have access to. Those who require help for their research can seek the same from the librarian.

A personal library is the one owned by an individual with adequate means. Such libraries are created as per the knowledge and interest of person. Thus public library is open for all to cater to the interest and taste of all people and contains books on diverse subjects. An institutional library refers to a library that belongs to an institution such as school, college, university or a club, etc. Such library is open to the members of community and caters to their needs and interest.

• Libraries play a vital role in imparting knowledge. Libraries help in learning and expansion of knowledge. Therefore it develops the habit of reading and boosts the thirst for more and more knowledge. It adds to what an individual has already learnt and leads to his personal growth and development in life.
• Libraries are especially essential for people who cannot afford costly books and resources for reading and acquiring information. They are the ones who truly understand the value and importance of library.
• Libraries do not only provide resources but also offer service by professional librarians who are experts at searching, organizing and interpreting information needs.
• Libraries provide virtual space for individual and group studies. They also facilitate access to digital resources and internet.
• Modern libraries are extending services by providing material accessible by digital media. Librarians provide assistance in navigating and also analysing large amount of information through digital resources.
• Library is the place with absolute silence where one can concentrate on reading. Even though it is open for all people the basic rule for all those who enter the library is to read peacefully and also the maintain silence.
• People who love reading create their own private libraries. Such ambiance at home has a positive impact on the members of the family. However it helps in developing reading habit in children and contributes to their growth and development. It broadens the outlook of the people.

Uses of School Libraries

• Education and libraries go hand in hand. Libraries create and provide flexible learning space and environment. School library is essential to support teaching and learning process.
• Facilitates the work of teachers by providing access to various curriculum resources and information. Therefore it equips students with skills vital to succeed in this competitive world. It encourages students to read quality fiction to develop the habit of reading for pleasure and enhances social, cultural, artistic and emotional growth.
• School libraries and the study programs incorporated by librarians, teachers and administrators cater to the educational growth and also development of the students.
• School libraries have a positive impact on the students’ academic performance. The students with access to well supported libraries with professional services perform and score better regardless of their socio-economic status.

Any kind of library is an asset to our community. However it is the leap in advancement of knowledge and well-being of a person. Reading is always the good habit. Visiting the library and reading can be the best way to spend leisure time and to learn something new. Libraries play important role in progress and development of the society. Thus, library is a valuable resource for the society.

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The most interesting facts…

Library is a collection of information, sources, resources, and services: it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. Libraries are integral parts of the country and nation, and indicate the human desire to preserve and collect knowledge, and progress both culturally and intellectually.

Nowadays there are different types of libraries: national, regional, public, specialized, and “academic” (university, institute and school libraries). In Russia we celebrate the so-called Day of Libraries on May 27 thus marking the foundation of the Russian National Library in 1795. the history of archives dates back to the ancient times.

The first libraries appeared in the Ancient East. The most well-known Ancient Eastern library is the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh: it contained all cuneiform literature available by that time. The Library of Alexandria is the most famous antique library in the world. It was founded at the beginning of the Third century BC and was the centre of education and science. Over 1500 years ago it was destroyed. There are several versions of how it had happened. The most popular version claims it was burnt down after Alexandria had been captured by the Turk-Osmans. At the beginning of the 21st century the legendary book repository was restored with the collective attempts of different countries.

The medieval ministries contained scriptoriums (the workshops for rewriting the manuscripts). After the invention of book printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, the number of libraries increased and in New Time as the number of  literate and educated people grew, there increased the number of library-goers.

The most famous libraries in the world:

Library of Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina)

Nowadays it is the main Egyptian library, the cultural centre located on the seashore of the Mediterranean in the city of Alexandria. The library is the memorial of the Royal Library of Alexandria destroyed in Ancient times and the modern research and educational centre at the same time.

Library of the Academy of Science  (BAN) in St Petersburg 

It was founded in 1714 by the order of Peter the Great. The library’s mission is to preserve historic documents especially valuable for the humankind and information support of the Russian science and technology.

Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh

The library of the last great Assyrian king known as the collector of ancient handwritten scripts. The library containing over 20, 000 cuneiform tables with historical, religious, magical and scientific texts was found during the archeological excavations in Nineveh in 1849-59.

Garrison Library in Gibraltar

The library was officially opened in 1803 by the Duke of Kent. At present time it is a modern library which contains over 35, 000 books including the rare samples.

Library of Duchess Anna-Amalia (Weimar, Germany)

The library located in Weimar is more famous as Goethe’s Library; in 1797-1832 the poet was its constant visitor. The library contains the richest collection of The Faust editions and musical manuscripts, handwritten books and ancient maps. During the fire of 2004 the library archives were severely damaged, however, now the library is completely renewed.

John Rylands University Library in Manchester

The library contains over 4 million books and manuscripts, 41, 000 on-line magazines and 500, 000 on-line books and several hundreds data bases. The archives of the library make it one of the best academic libraries of Great Britain.

Library of Congress, the USA

The National Library of the USA (Washington, DC) is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is the scientific library of the USA Congress and serves the state institutions, research and development labs, scientists and schools.

Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence

It is one of the largest Renaissance libraries, the repository of manuscripts and books of St Lorenz complex.  The library was designed by Michelangelo.

Bodleian Library, Oxford

One of the oldest libraries in the world named after Sir Thomas Bodleian. It comprises the central Bodleian library and eight subsidiary libraries. The library collection is used by the scientists from all over the world.

St Florian Library, Austria

The library is located in the eastern side wing of St Florian Abbey. It had been built in 1744-1750 by G. Hayberger. The library ceiling is painted by Altomonte and the rococo gallery stretches along the walls.

Fisher Library, Sydney  University 

The Fisher Library is the main library of the Sydney University which contains the largest book repository in the southern Hemisphere. The number of books counts up to 2 million items. The modern library consists of the two joining buildings built during the University foundation.

British Library

The national library of great Britain. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. It contains over 150 million books.

Wallenrodt Library

The book repository in Koenigsberg (modern Kaliningrad) of the 17th-20th centuries.  In the middle of the 19th century the library funds contained about 10, ooo books and manuscripts. It was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

Vatican Library

It was founded in the 15th century by the Pope Nicholas V together with the St Laurents library. Later on it was extended especially during the Pius IV era.

Staatsbibliothek, the State Library in Berlin

It is the cultural heritage of Prussia. The library contains about 10 million books. Apart from its main function the library also makes the list of incunabula (books that were printed before the year 1501 in Europe) and provide literary and information support.  Though it has been 60 years since the end of  WW2 a part of the evacuated funds are still kept in the libraries of Eastern Europe and the librarians still try to unite them.

Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, the Royal Library of Belgium

It is known as Albertina and is the national scientific library of Belgium. Its main mission is to collect and preserve all the editions issued in Belgium and works of the Belgians living somewhere abroad. It also contains a large number of foreign books.

The Royal Library of Denmark (Det Kongelige Bibliotek)

The library was built in 1673 and is one of the largest libraries in Scandinavia. It includes 2,5 million books and original manuscripts of Hans Kristian Andersen. The library addition contains 200, 000 books, a book store, restaurant, six reading halls, assembly hall and 600 seats concert hall.

Cambridge University Library

The Cambridge University Library was first mentioned in 1416. At present time the number of books counts to 7 million and includes Gutenberg Bible, Darvin’s letters, Isaac Newton’s notes ad archive of the Royal Observatory.

National Library of Belarus

The library is situated in the eastern part of Minsk and is one of the largest in the world. Nowadays it comprises over 13 million multimedia units.

National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), Paris 

It is one of the largest and oldest libraries in the world. It was founded in 1480 as the Royal Library, and in 1795 was pronounced National. The library attendance is allowed to people with university diplomas or references from a research institute. Together with the Sorbonne library it catalogs French and foreign periodicals of the 45 largest university libraries of France.

New York Public Library

It is one of the greatest libraries in the world, and is often referred to as the museum-library. At present time the library repository counts up to 43, 3 million scientific documents and 15, 5 million books. Apart from books it contains pictures, plates, engravings of famous and lesser-known artists granted together with books.

Russian State Library (former Lenin Library), Moscow

It was founded on the basis of Rumyantsev Museum and is one of the largest libraries worldwide. In 2008 the library will celebrate its 180th anniversary. The library contains 42million items.

Free Library of Philadelphia

The library has over 55 subsidiaries and contains 5, 1 million books. It was opened in March 1894 under the motto "the public library should be free for everyone".

Nowadays the libraries are still as valuable and important as they used to be. Many reading halls provide the on-line catalogue services.

• Library on-line
• Libraries: interesting facts
• RSAAD documents
• SHM documents
• RGB documents
• From the depth of ages
• Writing utensils
• Signature history
• Signatures psychology
• Signature samples
• East calligraphy
• Japanese painting
• Chinese painting
• Kinds and Styles of Graffiti
• Graffiti-slang
• Writers's Codex
• History of graffiti
• How to make graffiti

Calligraphy is the flower of a man′ s soul.

The New York Public Library Collaborates with Teen Vogue to Publish Winning Essay from the National Teen Writing Contest: Freedom to Read

Contest deadline extended to Friday, December 29

DECEMBER 20, 2023 — The New York Public Library and Teen Vogue announced today the grand prize winner of the Library’s National Teen Writing Contest: Freedom to Read will be published in Teen Vogue . The contest is part of the Library’s Books for All campaign, which launched during Banned Books Week in October and was created in response to the alarming rise in book bans and challenges around the country. The campaign is the largest and longest anti-censorship campaign in NYPL history. 

To support this exciting opportunity, the submission deadline for the writing contest has been extended to December 29. To enter, teens nationwide should submit an essay between 500 - 1500 words that answers the question: “Why is the freedom to read important to you?” Contestants must be between 13–19 and can submit entries online at nypl.org/booksforall . 

In addition to being published in Teen Vogue, the grand prize winner will receive $500. Twenty finalists will also receive a $250 prize. All winners will have their essays shared in a special issue of NYPL’s Teen Voices magazine. 

The writing contest, which is in partnership with 826 National, is part of the Library’s banned book initiative, which highlights the vital role public libraries play in our democracy. The campaign also features a new “Books for All: Teen Banned Book Club" that will run throughout the 2024 school year and provides unlimited nationwide access to select young adult titles that have been the subject of bans and/or challenges to anyone via the Library’s SimplyE app. The first book selected for the book club was Mark Oshiro’s “ Each of Us a Desert. ” The Library will announce the second book in the series next month. 

“At a time of rising book bans and challenges, The New York Public Library is inviting teens from all over the country to make their voices heard in our teen writing contest celebrating the freedom to read. Thank you to Teen Vogue for helping amplify teen voices on this crucial issue, particularly since we know many of the bans and challenges are directly targeting books for young people. The freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and a right we must never take for granted,” said NYPL President Anthony W. Marx.

“Teen Vogue is absolutely thrilled to work together with the New York Public Library on this contest in an era of increased book bans and attacks on education,” said Versha Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue. “Our mission at Teen Vogue is to educate, empower, and amplify the voices of the younger generation, a mission that feels more vital than ever. We encourage young people from all over the country to submit to this contest, something I definitely would have applied for as a teen myself! We are excited and honored to be partnering with an institution as essential as a public library, and are huge fans of NYPL’s efforts to make banned books available to read to students across the country.”

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support. 

About Teen Vogue

Teen Vogue is the young person’s guide to conquering (and saving) the world. The brand aims to educate, enlighten and empower its audience to create a more inclusive environment (both on-and offline) by amplifying the voices of the unheard, telling stories that normally go untold, and providing resources for young people looking to make a tangible impact in their communities. Part of the Condé Nast portfolio, Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment.

Media Contacts

Media contact: Amy Geduldig, [email protected]