
I bet that if a stranger stopped us on the street and asked “What makes a bad library?”, we’d all have a mountain of answers for him. Hate-driven mass censorship of age-appropriate books in school libraries has set the stage (largely thanks to the Moms for Liberty cult), and many of us have experienced under-funded and under-patronized libraries where the pickings are slim and the employees are burned out.
But today I want to know: what makes a GREAT library?

I’m ashamed to say that I always equated funding and a large population with good libraries. Surely, if you had a big group of people, that meant a lot of patrons and donations, and all the resources needed, right?
Bless my naive, summer-child heart. I totally neglected to consider the actual assets that seem to be the drivers: the employees, the leadership, and the community.
I lived in Seattle (population: 2.25 million), which has 2 library systems in the county and a huge online catalog. The downtown branch is shaped like an upside-down pyramid, which gave me too much anxiety to go into, and there seemed to be no need to go into my local branches, so my experience was all online.

Then I moved to Roanoke (population: 94,186). The libraries were still closed, due to COVID-19, but they had a bigger digital catalog than I expected for “such a small city”. When things re-opened, there was some confusion with library cards but the employees at my closest branch were kind and knowledgeable. The building was pristine and very modern (and right next to a high school), but still, I didn’t feel the desire to ever go into it.
Then I moved to Bedford (population: 6,657), where the sole library for the town is in an a tiny historical building. And it’s amazing.
The actual physical book selection is relatively small, but there’s a quiet teen activity room, an area for weekly parent-and-toddler programs, a media room for presentations and conferences, a “cafe”, a used book sale area, clean and modern restrooms, and a museum upstairs. There’s plenty of comfortable seating for reading and for working on a laptop, and the vibe is ‘clean and cozy’.
There are weekly scheduled events for different age groups as well as all-ages shenanigans: classic movie screenings, craft and gardening classes, professional development seminars, and sensory-friendly times for those with autism and whatnot.
They even host weekly giveaways on Facebook for their followers. How cool is that?!

So now I know. Regardless of the population size and funding and digital catalog selection, a great library is a welcoming, cozy space you want to hang out in.
It’s an inclusive space that supports the community and accessibility, refuses to censor information despite local bigots in positions of power, and empowers all ages through art exploration.
A great library builds a community.
OK, your turn: what else makes a great library?

Okay that is AWESOME! My parents’ local library is like that, they have so many great programs and are always trying to get the community involved and engaged. They had this thing where kids could read to a fluffy dog (adorable), they had a stuffie sleepover (also adorable), programs for teens, etc. I wish I had a library but at least theirs is close! The kids have enjoyed it so much. I am glad you have a nice one too!
Awwww a stuffie sleepover would be awesome! It really is amazing what a difference the community involvement makes. I’m glad your parents have that good of a space, but does that mean your town doesn’t have *a* library? Like, at all?
Hold on, I’m packing the car to come kidnap y’all and take you literally anywhere else.
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