By: ISABEL MARZULLO, STAFF WRITER
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
I was three when my dad began taking me to our local library every Tuesday evening; I marched through the front doors with a blue tote bag in hand as an elderly librarian smiled at us from behind the counter before exclaiming, “Oh, there are my friends!”
I would spend the next hour wandering each aisle carefully selecting that week’s reading. I was permitted five books and two movies – which habitually ended up being the Rainbow Magic series, Dora the Explorer and Tinker Bell. I would drop each selection into our blue bag feeling as the weight slowly increased.
Our weekly library visits allowed me to explore new worlds and learn to appreciate what it means to check out books for free.
Libraries are one of the few places where people can check out books and movies for a week free of charge, making them one of the best sources for endless information on history, education news and more. However, not everyone may agree; according to Sarah Karkoff from The Case Western Reserve Observer, “From 2009 to 2019, there has been a 28% decline in visits to public libraries.”
Libraries are able to provide a place for communities to gather, give free and accessible education, promote literacy and inform citizens.
Social media is a large part of why visits have been declining. With access to Facebook, X (formally known as Twitter), Safari, Google and more, individuals can receive information within seconds. In 2007, Amazon released its first Kindle, allowing individuals to download and read e-books wirelessly.
Yet, according to Nia Clark from Spectrum News NY 1, “The Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report shows the New York Public Library system welcomed 2.6 million visitors to its branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island from July to October 2023, compared 2.4 million during the same four-month window in 2022.”
The NYC libraries’ budget will be cut by $58.3 million in 2025 after Mayor Eric Adams claimed cuts were needed to address the city’s deficits from newly arrived migrants.
The presidents of the Brooklyn, Queens and New York public libraries congregated outside City Hall, feeling not only was it the wrong time to pull from the library’s budget but also believing the library serves as a safe space for families.
The amount of information in a library is colossal; sadly, not enough people know of it. By going to your local library, you will find a space where you can learn and feel safe and welcomed.
marzulig22@bonaventure.edu
