Written by: Cheryl Dobbs

Whether you realize it or not, we all have had the unique privilege of growing up in a country where public libraries exist. They were established on the principle that free access to information was so important that it could not be limited to only those who could afford it. Carnegie invested his wealth in that concept by helping communities all over the country build their first libraries in the early 1900’s. These became vibrant community hubs and grew with their communities. Most impressive from today’s perspective is that the entire community believed so strongly in libraries as a public good that they funded them with their tax dollars, much as they funded schools, police, and fire departments. Local women’s clubs, commercial clubs, and civic groups invested in libraries for their towns so that their students and businesses would prosper. They applied for Carnegie grants, held fundraisers, created new taxes to support them, and gave of their own funds to make it happen. Sometimes it was in a spare room above the grocery store, and sometimes it was in a Carnegie building. Whether you grew up as a library user or not, you grew up in a country that believed in their worth.

In most states, public libraries are now funded by some combination of local taxes and federal grant support. And yet, even in the “good old days” it was never high salaries and overflowing resources. We’ve ridden the economic roller coaster along with other units of local government. Some years have been nothing but a hard uphill chug, while others have seen the benefit of hard work and been a good kind of thrill ride.

For local governmental units in Indiana, the roller coaster has become a bit of a downhill screamer. At the same time, libraries are being saddled with more restrictions than other units of government. So while we are still all on the same ride, the seat belts have been off of the libraries.

I’m not an expert in property tax and don’t pretend to know the best way forward for Indiana. What I do know is that as the deck is shuffled to the “new normal” libraries are not making the cut. Here in Danville, we have a 1902 Carnegie building. It is the oldest in the county and the only one still in use as a library. Like other libraries, we’ve grown with our community, adding on to our building several times. Our community has invested in this library for 124 years. This year our funding reduction was $133,000, which is roughly 10% of our $1,031,323 budget. And we know that in just a few years, our revenue could be cut in half.

We’ve spent the last seven months advocating for our library, raising money, reducing expenses, and identifying areas of deferred maintenance. Our current bond (the money borrowed to build the previous expansion) will be paid off and we will be replacing that bond with another in order to protect the investment our community has made in our building and in literacy.

So here’s the elephant in the room question: Are Public Libraries a thing of the past? Are we a legacy institution that is now simply a drain on resources? Before you answer, read on. If you don’t frequent a public library, let me give you a snapshot.

As the doors open at 9:00, we see people coming in to pick up the books they’ve placed on hold, reserving a study room, using our computers, or browsing the collection.
At 10:30, it’s time for Ms. Frankie and storytime. Moms gather, chatting and asking after each other’s kids. They are a found family of library users. It’s not uncommon to hear the preschoolers excitedly welcome their friends by name when they arrive. Storytime is not just reading a book, it is the multi-sensory process of learning with a child’s whole body and attention. After storytime they run to the children’s room, where they begin to gather the books they want to check out, play educational games on computers, or engage in some imaginative play with friends at the train table, kitchen, or magnetic ball run.
Teens come to hang out or participate in programs, games, or participate in leadership development opportunities at the library.
Depending on the day, we take our show on the road with book club at the high school, storytime at Head Start Preschool, and book club at the assisted living facility and at the Kickstand.
Since we are focused on literacy, we offer multiple opportunities for book clubs, which also work to connect people in our community to each other.
Even in the midst of a transition, our Indiana Room and archives continue to be used by those doing genealogy work.
Individuals needing support as they go to court down the street come for help printing off items they need, and tutors are here helping students and parents.
Throughout the day, we see continuous use of our free Wi-Fi, public computers, and printing and faxing services.

This is only a very small snapshot of your public library. All of these free services are provided in a building that is open to the public 56 hours a week and staffed by only 15 full and part time staff. It is a stretch. Our building has a variety of needs, as any aging 124 year old would, and our goal is to protect the century of investment our community has made in us by making sure that none of our small problems become bigger ones in the future.

A picture, as they say, is worth 1,000 words. The Mark Twain library building in Detroit had a leak in the roof. It started out small. Money was tight, and they never managed to really solve it. In 1996 they finally closed the building and moved a small collection to an annex location. It was only to be temporary. They levied a special tax to fix the roof and the community raised money, but it was too late and the damage was too far gone. In 2011 they finally demolished the library, which still held computers, books, and evidence of a thriving community.

Help us preserve the Danville community’s investment in the Danville-Center Township Public Library by keeping our building up to date and our doors open. Want specifics on how you can help? Visit dplindiana.org/foundation. Some of the easiest ways to support the library include getting a library card, and using it regularly. Share with friends and family all the ways that having a library card is beneficial! Share your library story with us. Tell us why DPL matters to you or how the library has made a difference in your life. These stories are powerful tools in our advocacy efforts. Donate to the foundation through individual gifts or sponsorships. Every dollar helps us continue story times, literacy-based activities and events, and library services.