Libraries do so much that it’s difficult to express without leaving something out. As Shin said, they provide a “third place,” which is worth reading about if you’re unfamiliar with the concept. Briefly, humans psychologically need places to gather outside of home and work or school. Libraries are one of the few places left in society where a person can simply exist without being charged for the privilege. That alone is incredibly important.

Third places are essential for building real communities, and they cannot simply be replaced by billionaire-owned social media platforms. A real-life bulletin board or community events calendar does not have algorithms, sponsors, or an agenda to push. Libraries give people a physical space to connect with their neighbors and communities directly.

They also offer free classes on everything from filing taxes to gardening, crafts, and technology. They host community groups, events, nonprofits, support groups, makerspaces, and even tool or small appliance lending programs. They allow people to expand their horizons, try new things in a risk-free environment, meet others with shared interests, or simply receive support from their community.

Libraries also provide employment assistance, including resume building, printing services, computer access, and help navigating online applications. They regularly assist older adults trying to navigate phones, government forms, and increasingly hostile dark-pattern-filled websites. On top of that, they provide free internet access to people who either cannot afford reliable internet or do not have quality service at home. The internet, like knowledge itself, is an invaluable resource, and libraries help ensure equal access to both regardless of income.

They are also one of the few places where a person can privately seek information they may be too embarrassed to ask about openly or search for from a personally identifiable device. That privacy matters.

Libraries preserve local archives, history, and community knowledge as well. Keeping those archives public and physically accessible matters because physical records cannot be quietly altered or erased as easily as digital information can.

They are also among the few remaining safe and quiet public spaces for children. Libraries encourage literacy from an early age and provide access to books, ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and research databases that would otherwise cost individuals hundreds or thousands of dollars. They give curious people of any age the ability to learn, explore, and broaden their horizons. And despite what some people assume, not all knowledge exists online.

Even looking strictly at economics, libraries save communities money constantly. Instead of every individual person needing to buy every book, tool, printer, subscription, or educational resource themselves, the costs are shared publicly and everyone benefits. The money invested into libraries returns to communities many times over through education, employment assistance, literacy, civic participation, and even public health outcomes.

But beyond all measurable benefits, libraries make communities feel human. They are one of the last institutions built around the idea that access to knowledge should not depend on income. They create places where curiosity, learning, creativity, and simply existing peacefully are treated as worthwhile on their own.

Axing libraries to save a few pennies is not fiscal responsibility. It is a death knell for the community itself.