Why People of Faith Should Support Public Libraries

In a 2008 pre-election episode of "The Simpsons," Homer strides into a polling place and smugly asks to vote for "president, governor, and anyone else that will take money away from our parks and libraries."

Taking money away from libraries is a favorite pastime of politicians, especially at the state and local level. 

Since the economic recession of 2008, administrative agencies that manage libraries at the state level have seen a 20% decrease in annual funding. Local libraries have fared slightly better. Government funding increased slightly above the rate of inflation from 2016 to 2017, though funding levels are still below pre-2008 levels. This "holding pattern" of library financing has inevitably led to reductions in staff and operating hours. This in turn forces libraries to rely on local referenda to approve one-time tax increases that often support capital projects (ie, the building), rather than programming or community outreach (ie, the people). In the last decade, then, libraries have cut back on educational programming, diverting attention to campaigning and fundraising while struggling to keep their doors open and their services available. Even the public libraries of educated, liberal cities like Ann Arbor, MI are struggling to secure sustainable funding - a 2012 referendum to rebuild the downtown Ann Arbor library was resoundingly defeated. 

Appleton, WI is currently pursuing a 56.6 million dollar library project, and while the funding decision rests with the common council rather than with a referendum, social media activity surrounding the proposed project suggests that the final vote will be narrow and contentious. 

Admittedly, libraries have a bit of a marketing problem - and that shows in responses to the Appleton Public Library proposal. Many of the social media posts against the proposal see the project as an unnecessary investment in a building that is at best, a book depository, or as someone would suggest, a "day-care & homeless hangout." 

Still, libraries deserve broad public support - particularly in an uncertain economy and divided political climate. Libraries are multi-faceted organizations that provide myriad social and economic benefits, including media distribution, community events, free and unfettered access to the internet, and vocational and career skills training. They also provide a welcoming and safe space for discussions on contentious and divisive issues. They force us out of our social media echo chambers, and facilitate a face to face encounter with many different perspectives. Libraries provide all of these benefits while generating for their communities $5 in economic returns for every $1 of tax investment (new sports arenas, by the way, either generate a neutral ROI or a slightly net-negative return). 

But libraries especially deserve committed support from people of faith. 

In his classic treatise On the Freedom of a Christian, Martin Luther writes: 

"Here we see clearly that the Apostle has prescribed this rule for the life of Christians, namely, that we should devote all our works to the welfare of others, since each has such abundant riches in his faith that all his other works and his whole life are a surplus with which he can by voluntary benevolence serve and do good to the neighbor." 

Luther continues to articulate the necessity of service and benevolence, arguing that 

"a man cannot enjoy leisure; here he must indeed take care to discipline his body by fasting, watchings, labors, and... subject it to the Spirit so that it will obey and conform to the inner man and faith will not revolt against faith and hinder the inner man." 

For Luther, the life of service, and the support of the welfare of others is a Christian imperative for those who have been freely saved (or, justified, forgiven, renewed - take your pick) by the grace of God. Such service to minds and bodies is the only response that can come from saved, liberated souls. If the needs of the soul and the spirit have been met through the graciousness of God, then the well-being of both the mind and the body remain the task of community. People of faith thus choose to educate and edify their community as an outward manifestation of their own inner riches and out of their own spiritual abundance, attributes which God has given to God's created people. 

People of faith, particularly Christians, must support libraries for their efficient distribution of education and social services. Similarly, people of faith ought to generously support public education, public parks, and other communal investments that serve the well-being of the community. Such support is not a liberal aspiration - but is the shared work of all the faithful who have been freely and abundantly blessed by God - a God who nourishes our souls so that we might care for each other's minds and bodies in a spirit of compassion and generosity. 

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Ryan Panzer is an avid reader, who makes frequent visits to the Madison Central Library over the lunch break. He still owes the Appleton Public Library for an overdue rental of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity. Oops. Comments, criticisms, and book suggestions can be sent via Twitter to @ryanpanzer.

Photos from this post come from places in Ireland where books were/are stored. Photo credit: @sam_panzer.

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