Franklin Delano Roosevelt said “Libraries are … essential to the functioning of a democratic society … libraries are the great symbols of the freedom of the mind”. In a time of great change, when the relevance of libraries is under fire, his words still ring true. We need to remember that the support of a free, democratic society is perhaps the primary purpose of a public library.
The Value of Libraries
Libraries are very different today than they were when I was growing up or getting my education. I have entered my seventh decade and there is little to remind me of the libraries I used long ago. Libraries are different, but they have changed to meet the needs of the public. Libraries today are transforming communities.

