Which libraries are closing

While libraries have struggled during their time in suspended animation, more hardships may come after the coronavirus pandemic runs its course. At this point, an economic recession appears all but inevitable. During economic downturns, library patronage surges , as millions more people are drawn by free and low-cost resources, job-seeking programs chief among them. According to a report by the ALA, libraries in 24 states had their funding slashed during the recession of the late s.

Combine a surplus of increasingly desperate people with an underfunded library staff and things can get ugly. The hope among library advocates is that the coronavirus closures will spark more awareness of the services the brick-and-mortar institutions offer.

WIRED is providing unlimited free access to stories about the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up for our Coronavirus Update to get the latest in your inbox. He graduated from San Francisco State University and still lives in the city.

Currently, he has opened too many browser tabs. But some local authorities have been able to manage their finances so as to open libraries. I give you the example of my own borough of Hillingdon in west London, where they opened libraries … I want to invest in libraries, but we can only do that when we get the economy really motoring.

First, pointed out Poole, local library services are not the responsibility of local councils alone: the Public Libraries Act requires central government to oversee and improve public library services — a responsibility, he said, that the previous Conservative government failed to implement.

As we have commented time and again, this is a fundamentally misguided policy. By investing in libraries, you create opportunities for education and skills across the country, which in turn creates the conditions for future economic growth.

School libraries in many states have closed along with schools and many have plans to provide online classes to students. Public libraries are making virtual resources available and considering other ways they can help during the crisis.

Academic libraries are providing online services and access to resources. All libraries are working with their school administrators, governments, boards, and university administrations to determine critical services and closures following local directives.