As the 2024 election ushers in a new administration, libraries must advocate strongly for their role as independent, neutral spaces that foster free access to information for all people.
In the 2024 legislative sessions, a record number of bills were introduced that threaten library protections and freedom of access. Those include proposals to remove legal safeguards for library workers and expand government-mandated censorship of books and online materials. These bills could undermine local library governance, restrict diverse content and penalize libraries that maintain collections addressing controversial topics or issues disfavored by certain political groups.
The American Library Association tracked 107 adverse library legislation bills in 2024, and the number continues to rise. We must unite within the profession and form partnerships with those who promote the library’s role in supporting democracy and the free exchange of ideas. As librarians, we stand firm in our commitment to providing access to different viewpoints, even when these views may be controversial.
One of the best defenses against ideological bias is an informed, critical-thinking society. Libraries need to increase efforts to provide students with information literacy education that empowers them to research and evaluate sources, understand diverse perspectives and engage critically with content accessed from all sources. We must also prepare students for a future consumed by technology, void of human empathy and created with biased algorithms.
E.J. Josey was a librarian and civil rights leader, and while Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science, he was my mentor. Dr. Josey was deeply committed to confronting inequality and advocating for social justice. He famously said, “The library must be the instrument of the people, not just for the privilege of a few, but for the masses.” His words capture the broader vision of academic, public and school libraries as inclusive spaces for all individuals and as defenders of knowledge and academic freedom.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the key persons in the formation of the principles that established United States elections, viewed libraries as a cornerstone of democracy. Franklin believed that the government was for the “public good” and that an informed public was essential for a thriving democracy where citizens shaped their own future and held leaders accountable.
As we think about the 2024 election and perhaps question the future of democracy, Franklin’s philosophical views resonate more than ever. Franklin’s commitment to public knowledge reminds us that libraries are essential in empowering citizens. They also offer stability, facilitate conversations and unite us in a time of complex societal and political divides.
Elizabeth Jean Brumfield, Ph.D., is a distance services librarian at Prairie View A&M University.