Libraries Offer a Low-Cost Refuge as Household Budgets Tighten

In Topeka, Kansas, Izzy Rivera borrows at least one book a week from nearby libraries while saving for law school. Regularly buying new books, she told NPR, “just isn’t realistic.” She borrows print and digital titles through the Libby app, but still buys books occasionally: last month, she spent about $20 on 15 books at a library used-book sale.

A library card also gives Rivera access to movies on Kanopy, which requires a library card or university login, and free online access to The New York Times. The New York Public Library began offering visitors free access to the newspaper in January when they use the library’s Wi-Fi network.

Rivera said she often spends time at her local library because she can go there without feeling expected to spend money. At a coffee shop, she said, she would be expected to buy a coffee even if she did not want one. Librarians and library users across the country told NPR that financial pressures are bringing people into libraries, a familiar pattern for staff when household budgets tighten.

A Pew Research Center report released last month found that 44% of Americans had struggled to afford at least one basic necessity, such as medical care or housing, during the previous year. In the same period, 70% said they had cut spending on nonessentials, including dining out and streaming subscriptions. Pew conducted the survey in late August, with about 5,000 people responding.

Data from several of the country’s largest public library systems showed recent increases in membership, NPR reported, alongside more borrowing and event attendance. Maria McCauley, president of the American Library Association, attributed some of the growth to “heightened awareness” of library offerings. Libraries are especially popular now, she told NPR, because people know their services are free or very low-cost.