I am a huge proponent for libraries and encourage everyone to sign up for at least one library card. But I also live in a semi-rural area and understand the limitations of libraries in a lot of rural communities.

When I first moved to Oregon, my county had a small, but effective county library system with branches in each city of the county, inter-library loans, a moderate collection, the ability to check out books from any library in the county, and a digital library presence. Then about a year later, my (conservative) county voted to eliminate funding for (and therefore the existence of) the county library system. That was about seven years ago.

Now each city has their own independent library, you have to pay for a separate card for most of the other libraries (outside your city), inter-library loan is gone, and the digital library system is shared by almost all rural libraries in the state. The collections are smaller and not up to date in most cases.  The library where I live is open a total of about 6 hours per week (2 days, 3 hours each day) and is geared towards children. They also do not have a website, so the only way to find out about events is by following them on Facebook. I don’t even have a library card for this library because I’m not able to get there when they’re open. Thankfully, the neighboring city allows people who live in my city to get free cards, so I have one through them (though their hours and collection are not much better). The largest library in the county charges $60/year unless you reside within the city limits.

Things are better in other areas of the state, though I know some of the smaller (more conservative) counties are struggling with their libraries as well. The larger metro areas are much better, some with both city and county libraries. But with continued challenges to the library systems and the threat of federal funding being pulled, it will be more difficult for rural areas to support libraries, with digital services being the first to go in many cases, making access almost impossible.

Having previously lived in locations with healthy city and county library systems, it breaks my heart to see how limited access to books can be in areas that don’t have the money to prioritize libraries. Libraries, and the programs they offer, can have such a positive influence on communities, we need to find ways to keep them alive in the areas that need them the most!