Libraries in 2026
I know what you’re thinking: “Libraries? Why libraries? What even are libraries anymore?” You might assume they’re becoming increasingly irrelevant as an institution because of the internet. Or you may think they’re just boring, or that they don’t have a wide enough selection for your tastes. My goal in the next few paragraphs is to change your mind and convince you to visit your local library this week.
Here are a few reasons why I still love libraries, even in 2026.
Free stuff (The Financial Angle)
I like money. You like money. When you buy a book at a store, you lose money. Why spend your cash on books you might never read when there’s a treasure trove of information in your hometown just waiting to be explored? Books, DVDs, CDs, and digital media can all be checked out for free, letting you keep your hard-earned money. It has been proven time and time again that libraries provide a huge return on investment for taxpayers. A Library Research Service study found that for every $1 in public library funding, communities received significant economic value, often reported around $5 or more.[1] If you don’t go to the library, you’re doing yourself a disservice: you’re paying taxes to fund a public good but not bothering to use it.
Feed your head (The Psychological Angle)
There are many good reasons to read a large quantity of books each year: entertainment, boosting creativity, learning new skills, or satisfying a thirst for knowledge. Buying books you never read just to keep up appearances or feed consumerism is cringe. Consider this: 782 million print books were sold in America in 2024,[2] yet only about 60% of Americans actually read at least one book in 2025 (meaning roughly 40% read none).[3] That gap between buying and actual reading is eye-opening. If you check out a book from the library and don’t finish it, you can simply return it with no guilt. If you buy it out of compulsive consumerism, you’re left feeling incomplete, and your books become nothing more than expensive decorations.
An Alternative to Streaming Platforms (The Counter-Culture Angle)
Netflix and Spotify are convenient, but they have serious drawbacks. Stop relying solely on streaming services when your library offers hundreds or thousands of movies, shows, and music for free. Beyond the cost savings, streaming harms your taste: algorithms push homogenized, marketed content. BookTok may be fun, but it’s mostly marketing designed to make you buy books you'll never finish. What’s stopping you from creating a local book club instead? Curated content never match the excitement of discovering a book at the library, loving it, and paying nothing for it. Libraries often rival or exceed streaming services in the quantity and quality of certain content, especially indie films, documentaries, classics, and older titles that get pulled from Netflix.[4] If your favorite movie disappears from streaming, there’s a good chance the DVD is still sitting at your local library.
A Third Space (The Societal Angle)
Sigmund Freud famously said, “Love and work… work and love, that’s all there is.” I disagree. We need a 21st-century equivalent of an Enlightenment-era coffee shop: a true third space. Modern coffee shops often lack real communal energy; everyone is just working or grabbing their caffeine fix. Libraries offer community events, resources for families, and most importantly, people who might share your taste in books. They remain one of the last truly free public spaces where you can exist without spending money, hang out, discuss ideas, meet like-minded people, or start clubs. Once you’re out of school, it gets surprisingly hard to find places like this. Libraries help bridge that gap.
In conclusion: Go to the library. They rock, dude.
Sources:
[1] LRS ROI Study (Colorado public libraries, often cited for ~$5 return per $1 invested), March 2009 Link
[2] Print Book Sales Saw a Small Sales Increase in 2024 Publishers Weekly
[3] 40% Of Americans Did Not Read a Single Book in 2025 Book Riot (consistent with YouGov polling)
[4] Streaming Your Favorite Music Through Your Local Library CNET