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I’ve never known a life without public libraries. Amid many moves throughout childhood and adulthood, libraries remained a constant – a reassuring source of stability, a home.
When my family arrived in Longmont in 2021, the library was a destination second in urgency only to KingSoopers – a priority in settling into a new city. I’ve been an editor, educator, and administrator – and I’ve learned that whatever one needs, the library is a great place to start. And the libraries in every place I lived – larger cities, tiny hamlets, and much in between – were reflections of what those communities valued most: equality, knowledge, literacy, and connection.
What a community invests in says a lot. So does how a community defines need.
What I found in Longmont was a beautiful, vibrant city boasting great restaurants and shops, amazing parks and rec centers, and a packed calendar of cultural events. After two years, it’s still that place, but I’ve also grown more attuned to the inequities that challenge us.
What I’ve learned – once I was able to see beyond my privilege as someone with reliable transportation, internet access, and discretionary income – is that need is not always visible. Need is not always audible.
Residents like me are used to driving to the library, conveniently parking, and finding what they need with ease. What a bright, spacious building! What helpful staff! But it’s my neighbor experiencing housing insecurity, the teenager down the street who just can’t go home, the friend who needs support in teaching their child to read, who may need more.
Speaking with staff and community members, I know that much programming is stretched to the limits of capacity, study spaces are booked, and the cost to expand online services and materials to meet our population size is increasing.
Our library is more lifeline than luxury – and so, November 7 I’ll be thinking not about books on shelves. I’ll be thinking about the mother who can’t drive across town to storytime; the middle school kid who just wishes for a space where they can feel safe and seen. The gentleman without a home computer.
I hope Ballot Measure 3C passes in November; however, even if it doesn’t, I ask Longmont’s residents to remember that all deserve to experience the full spectrum of our library’s magic.
