Why it’s impossible to close a public library

OK. I know it’s not impossible to close a public library. There was that one in the Wimmera in 2013, and one in Queensland in … 1985, or was it ’86. Jokes aside – everyone in the library sector knows how hard it is to close a library, even when there is a compelling case.

I admit to having conducted library reviews that have recommended closure of a library branch or mobile library stop. For even though I am a passionate supporter of public libraries there have been times when – after detailed analysis of population, demographic and usage data – the argument just doesn’t stack up. Not just on economic grounds where the cost per visit or cost per loan was 4-5 times that at other libraries in the network. There are times when a facility should be closed because the working conditions are unacceptable, and the cost of upgrade cannot be justified when it means other community services won’t be delivered. And library staff deserve to have a job with some fulfilment rather than sitting around waiting for customers to walk in.

But rational logical evidence-based arguments don’t always carry the day. Why?

The first part of the answer is because libraries are obviously a good thing. Everyone can go to the library and there are lots of things you can borrow and do for free. It’s a welcoming place and an equitable institution. It is:

“a living force for education, culture and information, and … an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through the minds of men and women” (thanks IFLA – you’ve got to love a good manifesto, even if it’s from 1994).

The second part is that library users think libraries are wonderful places. If your library is scoring less than 8 out of 10 on its customer satisfaction survey you’re not trying hard enough (or you need better customers). Council surveys of ratepayers regularly show that public libraries are one of the top 3 ranking services delivered by local government. If I go to my local Council’s latest Community Survey results, two of the five items with highest satisfaction are library-related:

• “Household garbage collection including recycling

• Provision of a range of library services that meet your needs

• Availability of walking and bike tracks

• Library opening hours that meet community needs

• Maintenance of sporting fields and courts.” (Hume Council Community Survey 2019-20)

Most companies can only dream of the feedback that libraries get from customer surveys.

“You really do feel like you are OK in a library. It is reliable and courteous and considerate and generous. Yes – generous. It is such a KIND thing to do – to loan someone a book (or CD or whatever) and expect nothing back. You feel cared for within your community. It is extraordinarily precious.”

“The library has always been my happy place, since a child. It's a chance to explore the world through the wonder of books.”

“They know my name. I live alone and the staff know that. I can sit surrounded by my tribe and not have to talk to feel I have company. I'm not socially adept, but I like company.”

“It defeats isolation.”

“It’s the glue.”

But we’re not there yet, and these customer quotes might get us closer.

“I love the library – I think it is a treasure. I may not go in very often, but when I go past I’m very proud of it.”

“It’s a place for living, learning and expanding horizons. It caters for the needs of many different people in the community. I don’t require all of the services on offer but I am glad that those services are there, because it means that I am connected with a place that brings the community together.”

A public library is much more than the sum of its service offerings. It’s a living symbol of what people believe is important in their community. A place for all. A place with a noble cause. A place that gives without taking. A place that enriches, empowers and inspires. A place where you – whoever you are – can imagine a better version of yourself.

And here is where it gets interesting. You see, it’s not just the 40+% of the population who are library users that get all gooey and sentimental about their library. There are people who haven’t stepped into their local library in the past 20-30 years (or ever) who share these attitudes toward public libraries. They may not be library users, but the presence of a library says something positive about their community. They like the idea that there is a library for people who want to use it, even if they don’t use it themselves.

Averaging across a couple of different surveys I’ve seen in the past five years we can say that at least 60% of people who don’t use public libraries think that a library is an important service in their community. Which means that we have 40% of the population who are library users and think their library is pretty good, and 60% of the non-user base who also think it’s important. That is, approximately 76% of the population live in the ‘We love libraries’ camp.

Which is why it’s hard to close a public library. You’re messing with something that is not only inherently good, but something that is symbolic of things that people believe are good in the society that they want to be a part of – equity, inclusion, learning, knowledge. And that’s something that 3 out of 4 people are prepared to fight for. Most of the time they’re a quiet majority, but when a library is on the line, 76% is a landslide of public opinion.

[Which, as an aside, makes me wonder if our advocacy campaigns shouldn’t also tap into the non-user base who would (and do) stand for public libraries when they are under threat.]