There is good news and bad news about public libraries in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Today website recently cited reports from the Mississippi Library Commission that say the number of library materials being used has declined over the past five years.
Libraries in the state reported a 43% decline in materials checked out between 2018 and 2022, the latest year for which figures are available. The number of people visiting libraries also has been declining for a longer period.
The reasons for this bad news are obvious: Anybody with a smartphone has a library of information in their pocket. Also, electronic readers like the Kindle reduces the number of people who need to borrow a book from a library.
And now, the good news: A 2024 survey on the YouGov website reported that a whopping 85% of respondents had a favorable opinion of public libraries. Further, 53% said a library is very important to a community, and 47% said libraries should get more tax dollars than they do.
Even more surprising, according to Mississippi Today: “A 2023 report from the American Library Association found that 54% of Gen Z and Millennials had visited a library in the past year.”
All this good news comes despite the one thing that has brought the most publicity to public libraries: efforts to ban books from them.
All this emphasizes the point that, even though library use is down, the institutions have a good reputation. They must build on this good will by offering new services that will increase their relevance.
The world would be a poorer place without libraries. They are perfect for people of modest means, who may not have a smartphone or home internet service. Especially in Mississippi, which is ranked 45th among the states in terms of internet speed and availability.
But libraries must offer more if they are to rebuild their customer base. Many libraries have done this for years with things like children’s programs, art exhibitions or public meetings.
The internet — of course — is full of ideas for things that public libraries can do to coax more people through the doors. A 2022 survey by the Public Library Association listed 10 suggestions, with the most popular being literacy and education, expanding digital opportunities, civic engagement, support for those seeking jobs and social justice.
These ideas already may be offered elsewhere in a community, but there is no limit to American creativity. It could very well be that the golden tickets that will revive public libraries have not yet been devised; that even more ingenuity is required to revive these valuable facilities.
State and local governments, and ultimately the taxpayers, will have to come through as well. It’s certain that during the past few years, whatever tax dollars libraries receive do not buy as much as they used to. Budget problems would be a horrible way for public libraries to die.
