Stories from America’s Public Libraries
Between October 2025 and July 2026, we are sharing a series of stories about the libraries we visited and the extraordinary people we met, published every Wednesday via Substack.
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What is this library afraid of losing? A supper club and more
At a time when libraries are under scrutiny, a town in Montana unites over new recipes.
Why We Got Kicked Out of the Library
Paranoia and the collapse of community in the Idaho Falls Public Library.
Where Can Kids Go When There’s No School on Fridays?
In Gooding, Idaho, a public library fills the educational gap.
Cascade in Cascade: A Library Rises From the Ashes
A community comes together to save their library from disaster.
“Everything Institutions”: America’s Rural Libraries
In rural areas where few other services exist, libraries play an under-appreciated, yet critical role.
Why is this Library Adult-Only?
Amidst a heated battle against censorship in Idaho, parents have to waive their child’s rights.
Library Director/Library Mother
We met Sherry Scheline, the Library Director changing children’s lives in Donnelly, Idaho.
The Natural World and the Library in McCall, Idaho
McCall, Idaho is all about the natural world. The library helps locals learn about it.
“The Library Just Is.” Work and Intergenerational Friendship in Baker County Public Library
A library in eastern Oregon, powered largely by volunteers, shows how quiet daily work can help bridge political, cultural and generational divides.
The Freedom to Read in Baker City
The Library Director in rural Oregon who is fortifying his library against censorship using gutsy and unconventional tactics.
Losing John Day
From their lumber mills to their local pool, this small town in rural Oregon has already lost so much. Now, the community is fighting to keep its library open.
What it Means to be Public in Portland, Oregon
Multnomah County Library’s public spirit clashes with its ability to be a safe space for all.
Storytime: Where Books Meet Bubbles
Beneath the sequoias of Sellwood Park, Multnomah County Library makes reading magical.
Preface: The American Library Project
Right now, communities across America are deciding if they can keep their libraries open. We travelled across the country, library by library, to understand why libraries matter today.
