Libraries are for everyone

I have been an avid reader since I experienced the joy of learning through reading in elementary school. I loved spending Saturdays on a trip to the library and then going home and diving into reading what books I took out. At times, it frustrated my mother. She would find my reading spot and take my books away, saying, “Go outside and play for a while.” I know she was secretly happy I was thirsty to read. She just wanted me to be more well-balanced. That really didn’t work out. I was and still am a book nerd.

My college campus had a nice library that had long study tables. It was a good place for quiet work on term papers. The Speer Library at Princeton Theological Seminary was another matter. It was three floors of amazing resources. I will admit the lower level where the oldest materials were kept smelled funny. My allergies did not let me linger long down there. In addition, we had reciprocal privileges at the university library further into town. That was 7 floors of everything one could imagine wanting to research.

Years later, when my mother came to live in the town where I was a pastor, she got a part-time job in the little cafe in the atrium of our town library. She loved working the after-school hours when the children came in for various programs. She took it upon herself to help each transaction be a math lesson, teaching her customers about receiving the proper change. She also liked the early shift when the moms or nannies brought in the littlest ones for story times. Those are examples of libraries nurturing a budding academic, a future minister, children of various ages, and a woman in her 70s who had a heart for children.

It pains me that public libraries are under attack nationally and are in danger of losing funding locally and nationally. Many people turned out for the county commission budget meeting, but the die had been cast. We are left to wait for the results of the midterm election to see if Amendment 3 passes and whether those who value libraries need to get creative about funding. 

It is shocking to me that libraries are not considered a vital resource for communities. Their closures lessen quality of life for all. Libraries are safe places, public spaces and providers of needed resources for those who cannot afford access to technology or to purchase their own books. Seventy percent of our county residents have library cards, which is a higher-than-average percentage. Nevertheless, there are those who disparage the work of libraries and seek to impose their version of morality on these public spaces that exist to serve all equally. Our Fernandina branch has been accused without evidence of having its own political agenda. Those who cannot give evidence for their accusations or who have no personal experience with the services the libraries offer should refrain from public comment.

“Librarians on libraries” is an article in the New York Times from Oct.1 that interviewed over 50 librarians around the country about their experiences in 2026.

Ed Garcia said, "Libraries are defenders of democracy and protectors of communities.”

When asked what they wished people knew, librarians responded that they wished people realized they were there to help people, not just check out books. “We teach children to be readers and learners.” There are no special interest funds flooding the libraries in order to promote special interests here or elsewhere. Our librarians, who are county employees, are responsible to county officials for their budgets and spending.

The Friends of the Fernandina Library pledge to raise $40,000 annually. Their funds come from memberships and book sales. Volunteers sort donated books into various categories for shoppers to purchase. These are very popular sales twice a year. They turn over the money they collect to the county, which then distributes it. They do not dictate how the funds are used.

You can support your library by using its resources, thanking the staff, and advocating for its support to city and county officials, and by writing to your state legislators. You can also write letters to the editor of local papers about what libraries mean to you.

The Friends of the Library website lists all its upcoming events, including a Community Forum on Amendment 3 this coming Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. in the library’s community room.

To learn more about Amendment 3 beforehand and find a convenient list of addresses to write to, go to Friends of the Library, then the Amendment 3 page.

Let your community know you value quality of life for all, which means affirming that libraries are for everyone.