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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“Let there be light”: The Robber Baron of the Reading Rooms
Between 1889 and 1910, Andrew Carnegie funded the establishment of over 2,000 public libraries across America, creating opportunities for education and social mobility. But at what cost?
It Takes a Library
Childcare is the single highest cost a family in Cleveland incurs. The library is one reason many children aren’t left behind.
Middle-earth in the Midwest
In Idaho, we found The Hobbit in the adult-only section of a public library. Weeks later, we joined a library in Wooster, Ohio, as they celebrated J. R. R. Tolkien’s impact on people of all ages.
Buggies, Books, and Buses: How a Library Serves an Amish Community
The Wayne County Public Library in Ohio delivers books to remote communities.
This Library is Not a Battlefield (Anymore)
Birchard Public Library is built on the site of an important nineteenth-century battle. Today, they are preparing to fight against censorship.
Who Do You Want to Become? How the Library Expands Horizons
From collaborative beatmaking to environmental activism: how adult education programs in this Chicago library enrich patrons’ lives.
How Do Libraries Stay Relevant?
Chair yoga, bath bombs, and sequins: a modern American library helps a growing community in Solon, Iowa.
In Iowa, Rice Reaches Across Race
A small-town library in Iowa integrates a large influx of immigrants into the community through food.
Do You Have What it Takes to Become a Librarian?
A librarian in South Dakota helps people seeking shelter and teaches kids how to serve their community.
The Librarian Made of Magic
In rural Iowa, the library gets young people engaged with their community.
The Librarian Who Solved a Cold Case Murder
Paranormal activity and detective work in Iowa’s Cherokee Public Library.
How Not to Get Lost and What to Do If You Are
Hunters and hikers meet for a wilderness workshop in a Wyoming public library.
This Library Saves Birds
The Teton County Library in Jackson Hole, Wyoming supports local conservation efforts and environmental education.
The Gateway to Yellowstone
Montana’s West Yellowstone Public Library helps locals explore the outdoors.
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.
