Libraries help communities weather storms. Many are getting snowed under
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COMMENTARY | The recent winter storms showed how vital libraries are, but they are struggling with deferred maintenance and an uncertain funding future.
The recent deep freeze shut down transit systems, closed schools and strained local infrastructure across large swaths of the country. Extreme weather always reveals which systems hold — and which crack. But one essential piece of community infrastructure rarely makes the headline list: the public library.
Libraries are more than places to borrow books. They are core infrastructure, particularly in moments of weather-related stress and emergency response.
Public libraries are some of the most heavily used civic access points in the country. A Dec. 2025 Government Accountability Office study found that Americans visited public libraries more than 800 million times last year — and 99% of libraries provide Wi-Fi, device access, or both. Communities depend on them for telehealth support, digital skills training, homework, job searches, small business work and mobile hotspot loans. Public libraries also employ more than 140,000 people nationwide.
Usage isn’t slowing down. An Institute of Museum and Library Services report from September 2025 shows that in 2023, library visits nearly doubled compared to 2021, with growth across digital circulation, in‑person programming, and tech‑enabled services. What I’ve heard and seen from libraries across the nation as president of the American Library Association bears this out: libraries are core community infrastructure.
That’s the good news. The bad news: the same GAO study found that a majority of libraries are operating out of buildings that are aging, overburdened, or need safety improvements. Seventy percent report deferred maintenance. For roughly one in three, critical systems — HVAC, roofs, elevators — are already in poor condition. When these systems break, library services go offline with them.
The consequences are real. Heavy snowfall and structural weaknesses caused the roof of an Alaskan library’s children’s section to collapse while families were in the building. No one was injured, but the library closed for months and still operates out of a temporary space. In another community, a failed air‑conditioning system sent indoor temperatures to 95 degrees, forcing long-term closure.
And at the very moment when municipal systems falter, libraries are often asked to step in.
During the 2021 grid failure in Pottsboro, Texas, the local library became the town’s information hub, water distribution center, volunteer coordinator and ad‑hoc service provider. Afterwards, the community formally integrated the library into its emergency management strategy and sought priority status with the electric utility — recognizing that its connectivity and equipment are as vital as any other emergency asset.
Stories like Pottsboro’s are not exceptions. Half of public libraries have special designations for emergencies, serving as warming or cooling centers in extreme temperatures, distribution centers during public health emergencies and/or centers for community members and first responders during disaster recovery. But that role assumes something basic: the library’s own infrastructure can withstand the same crises it’s helping others weather.
That’s why capital investment matters. Public libraries reported $1.6 billion in capital revenue in 2023. Most of it — 61% — came from local governments. But as every city and county official knows, local funding for capital improvements can be a challenge, especially in rural and small localities. Rising construction costs add to the difficulties, with 71 percent of public libraries citing cost as a key challenge to addressing maintenance and repairs.
Across the country, Americans rely on libraries for internet connectivity, and a broad array of digital services. When a library shuts down because the HVAC failed or the roof leaks, tens of thousands of people lose access to essential digital services they can’t easily replace.
Snow needs to be plowed. Roads need to be fixed. And communities also need reliable access to the places where they apply for jobs, attend telehealth visits, complete schoolwork, learn new skills, and stay connected during emergencies. Libraries are part of that infrastructure. They deserve investments — from federal, state and local sources — that reflect the services they deliver.
Sam Helmick is president of the American Library Association.