At The Library: The America I Love
Everyone Has The Same Rights In The Library, No Matter Your Age, Education, Religion Or Income
By Rachel Reddick
Librarian at Park Hill Branch Library
I started pursuing my master’s in library and information sciences in 2014. I ended up getting my first tattoo to celebrate, a Kurt Vonnegut quote alongside one of his hand-drawn self-portraits. It’s along my left forearm, and his signature curly hair and pointy nose often makes people ask if I have a Big Bird tattoo. The quote I chose is from an editorial he wrote in 2004 which reads, “The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.”
What’s the American public library like nowadays and what’s to like about them? Currently, the U.S. has around 9,000 public libraries. The Denver Public Library system opened its 27th branch this year — our recently renamed Bob Ragland branch is located in the RiNo art district.
America loves its libraries. Part of the reason I chose that Vonnegut quote to memorialize my love of library-land is because public libraries at their best represent the ideals I love most about my country. Everyone has the same rights within the library. It doesn’t matter what your age, religion, education, or income is; the library welcomes you to come and explore.
Libraries have long attracted both admiration and controversy. Book banning, First Amendment auditors, fighting for equitable pay and decent slices of local budgets, etc. have happened for years and these kinds of events continue to occur across the country. Some have been noticeably amplified, particularly for collections and resources regarding LGBTQIA+ youth. So why does the library place such importance on equal access for all? Simply put, because what you read, learn about, or find interesting is your business. You shouldn’t need to justify to me why you want a specific resource.
Learning is often an intensely personal action that you may partake in for inherently private reasons. I can’t decide for another person what title will satisfy their curiosity. Maybe you’re checking out a title because you’re doing a deep dive research project and you want to cover all the angles. Maybe you’re revisiting something you loved years ago and want to see it again with renewed perspective. Maybe someone you disagree with recommended that book for you to better understand where they’re coming from. Regardless, the library will try to connect you with the resource you’re looking for.
In Colorado you’re especially lucky. Most library systems allow you to become a member if you’re a Colorado resident, not just a city or county resident. This is a lovely way to show support for local library systems, who use overall numbers to justify their existence. It also opens up your digital resources, allowing you to explore different collections of ebooks, audiobooks, streaming movies, research databases and music. We can also connect you to some of those collections through Prospector, a union catalog of more than 200 libraries in Colorado, plus the University of Wyoming. Still can’t find the thing you want? We can search using World Cat, an Interlibrary Loan system that borrows from libraries worldwide.
Ultimately, libraries are about community. We strive to represent, educate, and include all members of our community. It is our mission to allow every person who walks through our doors or visits our website to interact with a library system that recognizes them as an individual, understands their questions and searches are confidential, and respects their right to understand the world around them.
Greater Park Hill has two public libraries: The Pauline Robinson branch library is at 5575 E. 33rd Ave., and the Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. For hours of operation and details on additional in-person and online programming for both neighborhood libraries, check out denverlibrary.org.
Library News Flash:
Park Hill’s long-serving lead clerk Michelle has decided to retire. If anyone has any well wishes to pass on to her feel free to drop off any cards, notes, and letters to her at the Park Hill Library branch. We’ll plan to forward everything to her at the end of July.