From Steel To Fiber, Libraries Are American Infrastructure ▬ The Hill

From Steel To Fiber, Libraries Are American Infrastructure

#BuildLibraries

The Hill:  4.05.2021 by Julius C Jefferson Jr

Last week President Biden introduced his ambitious plan to reimagine the economy, create millions of jobs and rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. He pitched the plan in Pittsburgh, not far from the first U.S. library opened by steel magnate and legendary philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. More than a century ago, Carnegie recognized that libraries were as central to the infrastructure of a nation as the steel he produced.

Unfortunately, that first Carnegie library in Braddock, Pa., reflects so much of America’s neglect of infrastructure over the past decades. By the 1970s, the library was closed, and nearly razed, because it had fallen into such disrepair.

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While the Braddock Carnegie Library is special, it’s a common tale for libraries across the country: preserving our history while building for the future. The nation’s more than 16,000 public libraries have long been a road to educational and economic opportunity. We’ve long underinvested in this crucial infrastructure, but change could soon be around the bend.

When we do invest in library facilities, the dividends are remarkable. In 2013, the school district in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a city whose population is 92 percent Black — had the lowest third grade reading scores in the state. When the more than 50-year-old public library in the city was replaced, the new building added space for more youth programs and computers. These modern facilities allowed the library and school district to partner on a new after-school tutoring program. By 2019, 100 percent of the district’s third grade students passed the state reading assessment.

Investing in libraries changes lives in rural as well as urban communities. In New Mexico, six Tribal libraries partnered to deliver high-speed Internet connections to remote, underserved communities. Now, those libraries can offer access to distance learning and telehealth appointments.

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America’s aging library infrastructure, and the lack of funding to modernize it, means that unfortunately, many libraries still are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. In Randolph, Vt., the public library was finally able to install an accessible bathroom last year. Down the road in Weston, there’s still no bathroom at all.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

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