Librarian of Virginia: Show some love to your local community library

Federal library funding has been locked in for another year following uncertainty, but future support remains uncertain. Library officials say folks across the Commonwealth should find ways to support their local branch this February, which is Library Lovers Month.

An executive order by President Donald Trump last year attempted to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a government agency responsible for providing grants to local libraries.

But the new budget, passed by Congress and signed by Trump earlier this month, provides a small increase to the agency’s budget. Librarian of Virginia Dennis Clark said libraries are vital community resources.

“The idea that they’re quiet places or places for books alone has long since not been the case,” said Clark. “Libraries are really heartbeat places in communities. They’re not just places to borrow books. They’re safe, welcoming spaces, where everyone, of any age, can come and learn, or read, or be entertained.”

The Trump administration executive order was meant to shrink what officials believe to be a bloated federal bureaucracy wasting taxpayer dollars.

Clark said library usage data greatly impacts funding and perceived support. He explained that using a service the library offers, such as attending a class or reading a book, can help to keep that library around.

“The best way to support libraries is to use them,” said Clark. “All of that data – how many people use the library, how many books are checked out, how many books are downloaded, how many Wi-Fi connections a particular library makes a month – go into the metrics libraries have to basically use to ensure their continued funding. So that use is absolutely everything.”

There are 94 public library systems across the Commonwealth. That ranges from one-building to multi-branch systems.

Support for this reporting was provided by the philanthropic foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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