This commentary is by Kevin Unrath, president of the Vermont Library Association and director of Shelburne’s Pierson Library, and Mary Danko, director of Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library.
Yes, that’s an extension cord dangling from the beautiful Beaux Arts Fletcher Free Library in Burlington. With social distancing measures, increased need for WiFi and charging stations, and limited capacity for electrical updates, library staff found new ways to fill the needs of its community. They boosted the WiFi as far as the parking lot with extension cords creatively maneuvered around interior furnishings.
Built in 1902, this library was the first of four that Andrew Carnegie built in Vermont. The state has among the most libraries per capita, but most of our 185 libraries were originally built well over 60 years ago by architects who could never have imagined today’s needs. Many are in repurposed spaces that do not meet safety, space, structural and sustainability needs.
Since federal funding for libraries ended in 1997, we’ve seen an abject neglect of library infrastructure, but now is the opportunity to upgrade these cherished institutions with the Build America’s Libraries Act. If passed, this bill would dedicate $5 billion to the construction and modernization of libraries across the country, with an estimated $17.8 million allocated for Vermont.
Thankfully, Sen. Sanders, Sen. Leahy and Rep. Welch are co-sponsoring the bill, and for the sake of all the communities our public libraries serve, we need the rest of Congress to agree.
Libraries are the cornerstones of our cities and suburbs, offering free and equitable access to lifelong learning, educational advancement, economic opportunity, and lifeline services for everyone.
Burlington’s public library also serves as a cultural resource for newly arrived immigrants, and is the city’s only free public access computer center and meeting space.
Additionally, libraries have a big place in their hearts for seniors. The Department of Libraries ABLE Library recently helped Florilla Ames, a Waterbury resident who spends much of her time listening to audiobooks, celebrate her 110th birthday.
The services that libraries offer have evolved tremendously over the last century, and librarians today are as much curators of collections as they are of connections, through in-person programs and technologies that bridge the digital divide across the globe.
Yet, the Salisbury Free Public Library, in a Town Hall building from 1869, has no indoor plumbing. “Small but mighty,” as Librarian Ruth Shattuck Bernstein says, the library is open nine hours a week and also serves residents from the towns of Ripton and Whiting. Its 10 pairs of snowshoes were popular with borrowers this winter, and it recently partnered with the Salisbury Conservation Commission to host a StoryWalk on the Pitch Pine Trail with “Salamander Sky,” a book by Vermont author Katy Faber.
The historic Groton Free Public Library is in a rented building, and it’s had to limit its book sale to once a year to make room for social service programs its community seeks, such as diaper and prom dress giveaways, and its growing collection of books, DVDs and technology.
The Winooski Memorial Library is housed in 2,000 square feet for a community of 7,000 people. Vermont’s most racially and ethnically diverse community, 15% of Winooski’s residents are immigrants and new Americans, and they, along with the sizable youth population in town, have limited library resources available to them.
ADA accessibility is also an issue for many of our libraries. The Windsor Public Library is running a campaign to try to raise funds for a lift that would allow access to the children’s room and the only bathroom, located in the basement, for visitors who can’t navigate stairs.
The Brandon Free Public Library hasn’t seen major updates since the 1960s. The nonfiction section is on the second floor, and is inaccessible for those with mobility issues. The town has no community center or teen center, and the library struggles to find space for after-school programs, meetings, and quiet study space. Prior to Covid-19, the library was planning a large-scale renovation, but it faces the enormous hurdle of funding the construction. Community financial support is a significant burden for municipalities like these, and funds from the Build America’s Libraries Act could help.
Over the past year, we’ve seen how essential libraries are to their communities. With online story times, delivery of books and literacy materials at free meal sites, the printing of job applications, vaccine registration, hot spot loans, tax form pickup, science kits for environmental education, and laptop loans for homeless shelter residents, libraries have adapted their service model to the times.
Molly Kennedy, director of the Brandon Free Public Library, even called formerly frequent library visitors at home during the pandemic to ensure they had groceries. Moving forward, libraries will play an important role supporting economic, educational and social recovery.
Investing in our libraries is investing in all of Vermont’s residents, from toddlers through seniors. Author Sidney Sheldon once said, “Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.”
With the Build America’s Libraries Act, we have an opportunity to open windows to the world, without extension cords, today and for generations to come.
Thank you for considering this commentary about the Build America’s Libraries Act, which would allocate an estimated $17.8 million for Vermont’s public libraries.
