Baseball stadiums, Civil War battlefields, wineries, or amusement parks . . . when you take a road trip, what do you tend to visit? What about libraries? Although I generally don’t set out to visit libraries on our trips, I almost always find them. From Washington D.C. to Florida to a small village in Maine, I am drawn to the amazing work libraries do. I’m drawn to their stories, their books, and their architecture. I’m drawn to their staff and the battles they have fought to serve their communities. It doesn’t much matter to me if they greet me with imposing architecture or a humble doorway – they all pull me in. I have been amazed to find that I’m not the only library lover with this admittedly eccentric habit. Libraries, it seems, have a fan base of their very own.
Robert Dawson is a library lover who has spent nearly 20 years photographing libraries. His amazing work is documented in his new book, The Public Library. This photographic essay is punctuated by his own reflections and by those of authors such as Isaac Asimov, Barbara Kingsolver, Anne Lamott, Dr. Seuss, E.B. White, Amy Tan, and others. I have to admit that I could not wait to get my hands on this book. In its pages I found some old friends – libraries I have visited and libraries I’ve been inspired by. One of the very first libraries in his book is the now demolished Mark Twain Library in Detroit which was the topic of a previous blog post. As Dawson worked on this project, some commented to him that they were glad he was documenting the vanishing American library. He was always quick to say that American libraries today are busy community hubs providing more services than ever before and are far from a vanishing breed. He sees the role of libraries as leveling the playing field for all Americans and showing the way to something better.
The most moving pictures in Dawson’s book are the lost and abandoned libraries, wavering like ghost towns before time or the wrecking ball takes them. Many of these are in the poorest areas of the country, and the loss of those libraries compounds poverty with an impoverishment of another sort. For a library lover, those are hard photos to view. But behind these photographs battles are being fought – some succeed and others fail, but the tide of support for libraries is rising. Library advocates all over the country are raising money to keep services moving forward and talking with their state legislators about the difference libraries make. Some libraries are partially funded by donations or private foundations, and a few exceptional libraries are privately funded. One of those is Southwest Harbor Village Library in Maine – walking into this library on one vacation was an eye-opening experience for me (it is the subject of a previous blog post). I couldn’t imagine how such a small village could afford such a wonderful library until I learned from their director that their private funding represents an astounding 80% of their budget. Truly a vibrant and well-loved community library.
One of my favorite quotes from The Public Library is in the afterword written by author Ann Patchett:
So know this – if you love your library, use your library. Support libraries in your words and deeds. If you are fortunate enough to be able to buy your books, and you have your own computer with which to conduct research, and you’re not in need of a story hour for your children, then don’t forget about the members of your community who are like you but perhaps lack your resources – the ones who love to read, who long to learn, who need a place to go and sit and think. Make sure that in your good fortune you remember to support their quest for a better life. That’s what a library promises us, after all: a better life. And that’s what libraries have delivered. – Ann Patchett
And now, just for fun and to celebrate libraries, here are some libraries we’ve visited:
Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana, snapped by GPL Staffer Janet Buckley
A Colorado public library in a tiny town between Silverton and Ouray. Snapped by Ellen Miller.
Southwest Harbor Village Public Library, Maine. 80% privately funded, and much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside! Snapped by Cheryl Dobbs
Hannibal Public Library, Missouri. Snapped by GPL staffer Karen Jewell.
Nazareth Public Library, Pennsylvania. GPL staffer Lynn Johnson’s hometown library
Caye Caulker Library, Belize. Photographed by Greenwood Realtor and
former Mayor Margaret McGovern
Billings Public Library, Montana. Snapped by Ellen Miller.
The front of Mackinac Island Public Library . . . and the back porch.
Snapped by Cheryl Dobbs.
And like any vacation, after you have traveled and seen the world, you are always glad to come back home . . .
