Opinion
The Library Isn't a Luxury: It's the Last Free Room in Town
Every desk, every open story hour, every unasked question at the reference desk is a public good we keep having to re-justify.
There is a room in this city where you are not expected to buy anything, prove anything, or produce anything. The library is the last free room in town, and we keep trying to run it like a business.
When a library is asked to show a return on investment, the question itself is the answer. The ledger can't capture the kid doing homework at a desk their family doesn't have.
Defend it the way you'd defend a park. They are the same thing, just under different roofs.