Leveraging Your Library
Your Secret Weapon for the Revolution
When you think of libraries, do you picture dusty librarians shushing children? I beg to differ. Libraries are not only sanctuaries for book lovers—they’re centers of resistance and tools for liberation. In a world where knowledge is power, libraries are arsenals. Here’s how you can leverage your local library:
1. Free Access to Knowledge (and Power)
Libraries are one of the last truly free public spaces. We must preserve these sanctuaries—using them allows public officials to justify funding them. Need to research systemic inequality or ways to organize your local communities? Libraries offer free access to books, research databases, and workshops. As we established above, knowledge is power, and libraries are handing it out for free—grab it!
2. Community Organizing Hubs
Need a place to meet? Call the library. Libraries are about more than books—they’re about people. Many libraries host meeting spaces, events, and programs that can serve as the foundation for local organizing. Your library can be the birthplace of the next big movement.
3. Digital Resources for the Modern Revolutionary
Don’t have a computer? Don’t have internet service at home? Don’t have the software you need? The library does. Their resources can be used to create flyers, research candidates, or even start a newsletter like this one to amplify your voice. Many libraries also offer free graphic design classes and teach social media networking—skills essential for modern activism.
4. A Safe Space for Marginalized Voices
Libraries are on the frontlines of defending free speech. Libraries promote inclusion by nature. Knowledge is for everyone. Resources for marginalized communities—from LGBTQ+ literature to immigrant support services can be accessed. When you support your library, you support a space that refuses to silence the voices of the oppressed.
5. Fight Back Against Censorship
As states and communities move to ban books, brave libraries are standing firm as defenders of intellectual freedom. Books Unbanned is a response to the growing wave of censorship, ensuring young people can access the literature and ideas they need to stay informed. This program is a network of libraries in states that value the truth. Youths may sign up for a free library card through these partners. Once registered, you can access the host library’s full digital catalog. The Books Unbanned project is a defiant reminder: no one gets to decide what you can or cannot read.
Your Call to Action
Visit your local library. Explore its resources. Attend an event. Talk to the librarians. Then, share what you’ve learned with your neighbors. Libraries can only be as powerful as the communities that use them—so let’s use them to their full potential.