The Dying Art of Public Libraries and the Newfound Thriving of Independent Booksellers
For years, libraries have been at the center of townships and cities all across the nation since the Library Service Act (LSA) was passed by Congress in 1956. This act not only introduced more public libraries to rural areas that previously did not have easy access to them, but it also protected existing libraries’ federal funding and supplied them with money upon the library’s annual submission of a monetary plan to the U.S. Department of Education. With this plan, both local and state governments could detail all the initiatives they wanted for their own libraries, benefit and expand them, and have them gain recognition from the overarching U.S. government. Later, the Libraries and Construction Act was implemented by Lyndon B. Johnson in place of the Library Services Act, retaining the LSA’s core ideas along with additional funding for rural libraries post-war. Finally, the Library Services and Technology Act of 1996 was signed, shifting the focus to the technological side of libraries and launching computer technology within libraries. As both hubs for education and now third spaces with technologically equipped work spaces within them, libraries have taken on new life as important, necessary places for all communities, both metro and rural.
With so many acts passed, revised, and carefully viewed for their contributions to libraries, there is no doubt that America has seen the benefits that they can have on its communities.
However, as of late 2025 and even more so this year, libraries are facing a myriad of issues that are slowly threatening their closures as a result of a funding crisis that has struck regions across America. Contextually, on March 14th, 2025, as part of President Donald Trump’s Project 2025 plan with its estimated over $211 Million budget, the federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services was cut by up to 40%. This dismantling of pivotal funding for libraries unsurprisingly resulted in many public libraries in the United States struggling financially. During the peak of the funding crisis, the American Library Association explained the particulars of those most affected by the order in their statement, “In response to an Executive Order issued on March 14 to reduce the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Department of Government Efficiency has begun cutting existing grants, including funding to states in California, Connecticut, and Washington. These cuts are disruptive, especially to services provided in rural communities.”
Keeping in mind the original purpose for the LSA and now considering the effects of the defunding, libraries have undoubtedly taken a financial hit to branches, and, being that they heavily rely on government support to stay afloat, the money that has been taken away from them has affected more than just the buildings themselves. The ALA goes on to explain that, “Further, experts working for IMLS have received notices their positions are being eliminated; this further erodes effective support for America’s essential public libraries. IMLS funds have provided Braille books for the blind in Connecticut; an online, after-school tutoring program available to all students including GED preparation in Louisiana; upgraded internet speeds for library patrons in Whitefish, Montana; and supplied education kits for homeschool families in Choctaw County, Mississippi—projects driven locally, based on need.” Having licensed librarians is crucial to libraries not only because they need someone to oversee the library daily, but also because they need to be people with the knowledge of both business and digital and physical literacy. Like a capital worker or schoolteacher, they are government workers who actively contribute to their community and the broader literacy of those within it by working at the library and taking the time to understand it.
Libraries and librarians are pivotal for community literacy, especially in rural areas or in areas where communities are largely underprivileged. Libraries are not only physical houses of knowledge, carrying books, information, and computer services to those who may otherwise be unable to afford them, but they are also civic centers that are homes to literary gatherings like book clubs and small-learning organizations for children. Reading frequently and having ready access to books is becoming necessary as there is a direct, growing correlation between literacy rate and libraries open to people. Expanding on this idea statistically, communities that have more libraries have higher literacy rates, and children who have had access to libraries in high-density areas have scored higher on state tests than those who are without and in rural areas with fewer libraries. The Center for American Progress, a website that reflects on the development of the country both politically and socially, wrote an article where they outlined the truth of this and what not having access to libraries can mean for developing children, “More than 50 years of research across more than 60 studies show that students with access to well-resourced school libraries with certified librarians consistently perform better academically and score higher on standardized assessment… Meanwhile, information literacy is becoming increasingly important in an age of misinformation and disinformation.” Illiteracy is becoming more and more prevalent in our country, and struggles with reading and writing usually begin in youth and are never properly addressed through the affected lifetime, virtually rendering those affected more and more disadvantaged as time passes.
Having ready access to libraries may not be a way to completely solve illiteracy, but they can certainly help children become introduced to reading while they are young, and provide a way and location for adults to work through reading on higher levels. In an article titled, The Correlation Between Libraries and Literacy, by the Hatchett Book Group, the organization remarks on that exact finding in their statement, “In the United States, the richest country in the world, an astonishing 32 million American adults—or 14 percent of the population—are considered illiterate. When analyzing the illiteracy issue in the United States, people often cite numerous causal factors. For example, those born to illiterate parents have a higher-than-average likelihood of being illiterate too. In other cases, individuals may grow up in households where they’re rarely—or never—encouraged to read, and may never seek access to books in their town.” Libraries are active hubs for reading and learning, and giving children the option to choose to go to a library by having one or more in their city is a pivotal choice that all children should be able to make and be encouraged to make on their own. No child, or adult for that matter, should be discouraged from reading due to not having a center where they can read without a price. Knowing that libraries serve such important roles in a community’s education and outlook really redefines the consequences that defunding them can have on cities.
Equally important as having libraries present and active in communities is making sure that their working hours are largely open and flexible, another key factor affected by their defunding. Although closure will always be the worst possible option for many public libraries, large hour cuts for when libraries are open typically precede that fate. In the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta News First reports sheds light on what could potentially be the first step towards closure for Henry County libraries, explaining that, “80 percent of Henry County’s public libraries will be closed on Saturdays indefinitely due to a funding shortfall of $125,000. The first closure is this weekend. Only one of the county’s five libraries will remain open because of its status as a passport acceptance facility.” Saturdays are one of the most indispensable days for libraries to be open, as students and adults most often have time off from school and work, respectively. Furthermore, Saturdays are one of the only days of the week where children have a full day to spend their time reading in a library without missing school time. On weekends, libraries offer places for those interested to be able to spend their time learning and reading rather than spending their time doing things that are potentially damaging (like many students do on the weekends, especially those from tougher upbringings in troubled areas where there are very few safe third places). Taking away access to libraries on Saturdays threatens the utility of libraries and therefore literacy in this county. Moreover, when the Atlanta News First group was interviewing members of the local government for this segment, McDonough Mayor Sandra Vincent spoke up–“Literacy is so important… We’re also seeing our library being used for workforce development and a lot of professional development, so the notion of not having it available on Saturday is really a tremendous impact to the community.”
Many people may not have the time to be able to commute all the way to other counties just to have access to libraries on Saturdays, and they should not have to because the libraries in all Georgia counties should have open, flexible hours, an important part of the Library Services and Technology Act. The segment went on to explain that “A midyear budget adjustment is the only way to avoid Saturday closings and that has not been approved.” The closure of libraries on the weekends in Henry County will force the country to brace for potentially detrimental effects on the literacy of their communities, all because of the lack of funding. Because of budget cuts that are leading to hourly cuts that could segue into entire library closures, the art and intention of public libraries is slowly wilting away.
However, where the government and capitalist mechanisms are failing cities, there has been a newfound hope for the future of libraries and literary unity founded by independent bookstore owners.
Recently, independent booksellers have been rebuilding the community around books one bookstore opening and a time, and people have really come together to support them, contributing to these businesses in their communities. However, because many people no longer have ready access to libraries like they had in the past, they would rather buy a book online through a billionaire company like Amazon without them having to travel further distances or spend extra money on books in brick and mortar stores like Barnes and Nobles. This sudden spike in people turning away from bookstores has caused many issues for independent booksellers in keeping their businesses afloat. However, in a positive change of heart, through the unity brought about by apps like TikTok and Instagram and a growing shared desire for new third spaces for booklovers, people have been coming together to support independent booksellers more than ever and create spaces for bonding over reading to thrive.
Here in Atlanta, the support for independent bookstores has been so tremendous that it is slowly gaining increased traction from news outlets and everyday citizens alike. This past Saturday, the successful efforts of local independent bookstores to unite communities inspired an article for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6 new Atlanta indie bookstores seek to be ‘third spaces’ for readers. The article spotlights some of the places making the largest efforts to step in where public libraries may not be able to in this time of economic hardship. Two places highlighted in the article for their unique, inclusive approaches to bookstore culture are the Impossible Moon Bookshop, located in Hapeville, and Offbeat Books in Atlanta. The Impossible Moon Bookshop is a Black-owned independent bookstore that also functions as a hangout space for bookworms. On their website, they describe the ambience of their location as a Moesha, 2000s-inspired nook that prioritizes taking care of the community and supporting humanity. The good deeds that they are actively carrying out to practice what they preach cannot go unnoticed as they further proclaim that, “For the Southside of Atlanta, we want to support programming that can give young folks a place to go on the weekends and our seasoned citizens somewhere to belong during the week. We’re bringing in students for tutoring programs, volunteer opportunities for our elder citizens, art crawls with the City of Hapeville, and anything else folks can create with us. We’re hoping to tap into support for our community’s most vulnerable members and to emphasize and celebrate their humanity above everything else!” From their community support to the extension of their space to educational endeavors like tutoring, shops like Impossible Moon Bookshop are actively helping to reduce the slack caused by library defunding in Atlanta. In doing so, they are bringing back spaces for people to bond over books, help each other grow, and honestly, just be there for each other.
Truly, the culture of libraries is so infinitely larger than just grabbing books and leaving. They are places for people to thrive and enjoy their communities, and they function as places for gatherings, from school and work-related, to even hobby-centered meetups. Though it is extremely unfortunate that in this new era, public libraries are losing funds that make it possible for them to be there for their communities in complete capacity as they have been ordained to do by law, communities can inspiringly make up for what public libraries are starting to lack. By continuing to go out to independent bookstores, knowing the importance of reading spaces and spending time molding them into known, frequented places, literacy can continue to thrive in these areas, and the stress alleviating hangouts can remain.
