Op-Ed
Public libraries deserve surge funding
Site Administrator · June 10, 2026
Libraries loan more than books. They loan Wi-Fi hotspots, meeting rooms, legal templates, and quiet. During heat waves they are cooling centers; during recessions, job centers.
Budget cuts treat libraries as discretionary. Usage data says otherwise. Visits climb when everything else gets expensive.
Fund libraries like the essential civic institutions they are—staff, hours, and building maintenance included.
