Category: Libraries

Make 2026 the Year to Rediscover Reading

Leave a comment

Are you ready to Rediscover Reading?

Below is a copy of my recent op-ed in the Palm Beach Post encouraging people to take part in the new Rediscover Reading.

Rediscover Reading helps locals realize the benefits of books

When was the last time you read a book for sheer enjoyment?

If you are like most people, it has been a while since you cracked open a novel. You may think that reading for pleasure is simply one entertainment option out of many. However, reading for pleasure is more than a possible pastime. It’s a story driven public-health prescription. That’s the rationale behind the Palm Beach County Library System’s 2026 yearlong initiative, Rediscover Reading.

As our communities wrestle with loneliness and frayed social ties, returning to pleasure reading, and the libraries that sustain it, offers an affordable, evidence-based path to improve lives. The scale of the challenge is striking. A 2025 study of more than 230,000 Americans found the reading for pleasure dropped from 28% in 2003 to just 16% in 2023. That decline isn’t just a worry for the publishing industry. It has public-wellness concerns. When a large part of the population stops reading for pleasure, we lose a simple, low-barrier route to better mental health.

A growing body of research finds that reading for pleasure delivers measurable benefits such as reduced stress, better sleep, enhanced empathy and improved cognitive well-being. At the same time, shared reading like book clubs and read-aloud sessions activate regions in our brains tied to social cognition and emotional connection. This helps counter feelings of isolation and distrust.

That’s where Rediscover Reading comes in. The Library is inviting Palm Beach County residents to pick up a favorite book, sample a new novel, and set a reading goal for the year. What would happen if we all committed to reading one book a month? How much more restful would we feel by exchanging 15 minutes of mindless scrolling before bed with the narrative delight of a story? The sense of wonder, escape or solace found in the written word can bring peace of mind, greater life satisfaction, and a more empathetic understanding of the world.

Reading for pleasure combines the best of both worlds: the private delight of losing yourself in a narrative and the social lift from shared reflection. Libraries, with our welcoming spaces and community activities, transform solitary reading into a communal experience. As research suggests, the path to improved well-being doesn’t require expensive interventions. Instead all we need is a book in hand and a comfy spot to read it.

The invitation is extended. Dust off that old beloved title or pick up a new bestseller, be it a physical book, e-book or audiobook. Rediscover Reading isn’t just about books. It’s about opening your mind to a world of unlimited possibilities through the simple, but powerful ritual of reading for pleasure.

Grab your library card and visit your local branch of the Palm Beach County Library System or a municipal library to access free materials. Check out free e-books and e-audiobooks online through our website: www.pbclibrary.org.

This year, reclaim the joy of literature as a daily act of self-care and community building. Join us as we invite you to Rediscover Reading.

FLA Needs Your Input and Support

Leave a comment

Below is an important message from the Florida Library Association. Whether you are an FLA member or not, your input and support are most appreciated.

The Florida Library Association (FLA) is in the process of updating the Florida Public Library Standards. This document is used to help guide public library service across Florida.

Work in a Florida library? Please take a few moments to fill out this survey to help us in the process. Your feedback will help identify items to update and change to keep our standards relevant.

The survey is open from Monday, November 3 to Sunday, November 30, and we are seeking feedback from all Florida library workers, not just FLA members.

TAKE THE SURVEY HERE

FLA STILL NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Your donations support the work of the Florida Library Association, a 501(c)(3) organization. Gifts to FLA are deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Support FLA by making a donation toward its general operating expenses. Donating to the General Fund allows FLA the most discretion and flexibility in allocating your contribution to our greatest financial needs.

The healthier FLA is financially, the better able we are able to support and advocate for Florida libraries and library staff.

DONATE HERE

Thank you for your generous donation!

Libraries are at the Heart of the Reading Ecosystem

Leave a comment

When I say libraries, what is the first thing to come to mind?

It was probably books.

The purpose of libraries for thousands of years was to collect and preserve the written word. Of course, having books alone is not enough without people who know how to read them. That is why libraries have always strived to expand literacy. This is especially true today, even in the digital age.

Brooks Rainwater, CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, understands the important role that public libraries play in expanding literacy. In a recent article on the EdTrust website called Libraries are at the Heart of the Reading Ecosystem, Rainwater shares how libraries are important to literacy while at the same time facing a very challenging environment.

Without public libraries, it is much harder to solve the problem of illiteracy. At a time when only 31% of U.S. fourth graders are reading proficiently, a continuing downward trend from previous years, it is especially worrying that public libraries — critical to helping children and their families begin the important process of reading and writing fluently to gain on-grade skills — are under attack.

Rainwater stresses how libraries play a bigger role in our communities beyond just acquiring books.

Libraries are more than just passive repositories of books; they are indispensable neighborhood resources. Libraries are learning hubs at the very heart of community literacy, anchor spaces providing essential support to our youngest readers and their families, teachers, and other literacy providers, helping to build out a strong “literacy ecosystem” across communities.

From his leadership position at one of the largest library organizations in North America, Rainwater understands the challenges and knows how libraries are making a difference in their communities.

I am the president and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), an organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the essential role of public libraries as dynamic, accessible places for opportunity, learning and innovation. I’m proud to say that, despite the challenging environment we are in, our member libraries are still stepping up to meet the needs of our developing readers and their families in numerous ways that are aligned to all that we know about how young brains learn to read. 

To learn more about how libraries support literacy, please read the full article.

Supporting Florida Libraries

Leave a comment

This week I am sharing an important message from the American Library Association in support of Florida Libraries. Please consider offering your support to ensure that the Florida Library Association is able to continue its mission of connecting libraries and library staff across the state.

Imagine a Florida without libraries—no story times, no safe study spaces, no free access to books, technology, or community programs. That’s the future our colleagues at the Florida Library Association (FLA) are working hard to prevent.

Support the Florida Library Association

FLA has been a steadfast advocate for libraries across your state, but today, they need your help. Like many organizations, FLA has faced serious financial challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While their recent conference in Orlando was a success, they continue to face declining membership and the loss of key funding sources, including Library Services and Technology Act grants (through the Institute of Museum and Library Services).

Yet, we remain hopeful—and they remain active. In the past year alone, FLA:

  • Successfully lobbied against the “Material Harmful to Minors” legislation
  • Secured full base funding for Public Library State Aid
  • Achieved a 25% increase in funding for library cooperatives
  • Hosted a dynamic and educational 2025 conference
  • Made membership more affordable and accessible

Now, on behalf of our friends at FLA, we’re asking for your support to keep their momentum going.

📚 Donate: Every dollar helps them continue our collective mission to support and advocate for Florida’s libraries.
📚 Join or Renew: Personal memberships are 50% off through December—there’s never been a better time to get involved.
📚 Share: Help them spread the word by forwarding this message to your colleagues, friends, and family and posting to social media.

Donate to the Florida Library Association

Your contribution will help ensure that libraries remain strong, inclusive, and essential to every Florida community. 

On behalf of their friends at ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy office, thank you for showing up for the Florida Library Association.

Warm regards,

Lisa R. Varga, MLS
Associate Executive Director, Public Policy & Advocacy

Take Part in the Summer Reading Challenge

Leave a comment

It’s summertime! What are you going to read?

Libraries across the country are encouraging their members to grab an armful of books and make it a summer full of reading. For example, the Palm Beach County Library System has started the annual Summer Reading Challenge. As shared on their website:

Residents are invited to join the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge: Color Our World. Summer is a season that beckons everyone to embark on new adventures, explore faraway lands and lose themselves in the magic of stories. Where better to start your journey than at the Library!

Don’t live in Palm Beach County? Never fear! Almost all public libraries across the country engage in a summer reading program. Visit yours today to get started.

Summer reading challenges are happening at a time when many authors and researchers are highlighting the need for deep reading. An article from last October from the National Endowment of the Arts points to data showing a slump in reading for pleasure. An interview on NPR similarly discussed how Americans are reading fewer books. The effects of these trends are far reaching and still being studied. I intend to explore this topic more in future posts.

Meanwhile. I invite you to personally try to reverse this trend by signing up for your nearest summer reading program. Then pick your favorite books and enjoy the read!

Statement from the Urban Library Council

Leave a comment

The library world was shocked last week by news of the abrupt firing of the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. She was fired by email.

Like many of my colleagues, I was sad to hear this news. I am a big admirer of Ms. Hayden and believe that her career is an inspiration for librarians everywhere. From her background as a public library Director and her extensive experience working at the national level, Ms. Hayden was a natural fit for the Library of Congress. Despite this set back, I know that Ms. Hayen will continue to advocate for libraries across the country in her next role.

Below is a statement from the Urban Library Council regarding this situation.

———————————————————–

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is deeply dismayed by the dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress.

A visionary leader, Dr. Hayden modernized the Library of Congress, expanded its digital reach, and championed access and transparency. Dr. Hayden worked tirelessly to ensure that this vital institution served not only scholars and policymakers—but all people, in every corner of our country. She also made history as the first woman and first African American to serve in the role—an appointment that carried deep significance for the institution and the nation.

At a time when truth, history, and civic knowledge are under strain, Dr. Hayden stands as a steadfast advocate for open information and the enduring value of public institutions. Her leadership reminds us that libraries are, at their core, dynamic engines of democracy, equity, and the public good.

Her removal is not simply a personnel decision—it is a profound rupture in our national commitment to knowledge, access, and public service. This moment demands clarity, courage, and conscience—from Congress, from civic leaders, and from all who believe in the integrity of our democratic institutions. The Library of Congress is more than a building on Capitol Hill. It is a symbol of our nation’s belief in the power of knowledge and the free exchange of ideas. Its mission must not be subject to political whims.

The Urban Libraries Council calls on Congress to recognize Dr. Hayden’s historic contributions, to celebrate the transformation she sparked, and to protect the independence and integrity of the Library of Congress. Let this moment not diminish her legacy but instead galvanize a renewed commitment to libraries as pillars of democracy.

ULC stands in solidarity with library leaders across the nation in honoring Dr. Hayden’s vision, her service, and her unshakable belief in the power of libraries to change lives.

IMLS Targeted to Close

Leave a comment

Last week it was announced that the Institute for Museum and Library Services was targeted to shut down as part of the larger reduction in the Federal Government. Closing IMLS would remove the only Federal agency that provides funding and support to libraries and museums across the United States.

Library supporters across the Country are rallying to save IMLS from the chopping block. To better understand how the Institute supports libraries, the advocacy organization called EveryLibrary has created a resource on the EveryLibrary Institute website that details the gravity of the situation.

The Trump Administration has issued an executive order directing several small federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to review their operations and obligations under law with the intent to cut budgets and staffing.

The Executive Order dated March 14, 2025, directs agency heads to reduce “elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary … This includes the non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.

The page details the items that IMLS is required to do by law versus those that are optional. For libraires, IMLS oversees many library grants, including the Library Services and Technology Act.

The American Library Association also released a statement opposing the elimination of IMLS.

If you want to voice your support for IMLS, EveryLibrary has a list of resources and actions that can be done, including reaching out to your local member of Congress or U.S. Senator. Working together, IMLS can be saved.

Libraries Make Everything Better

Leave a comment

For those of us who are devoted library members, there is nothing more satisfying than walking into our local branch to find a book or attend an event. But have you ever wondered if everyone else entering the library feels the same way?

The New York Public Library was very interested in this question and commissioned a survey to discover the truth. And the truth was good. In an article on Literary Hub by James Folta, the results of the survey were shared.

Science has backed up what many of us have long been saying: the library rocks. A study from the New York Public Library surveyed 1,974 users on how the library makes them feel and how it affects their lives, and the results are overwhelmingly positive.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Breaking down the survey questions, the amount of perceived benefits from the library was very impressive.

  • 92% of respondents reported feeling somewhat to very “calm / peaceful” after visiting the Library
  • 74% of respondents reported that their library use positively affects how equipped they feel to cope with the world
  • 90% of respondents reported that their Library use positively affects how much they love to learn new things
  • 88% of respondents reported that their Library use has supported their personal growth

Even more encouraging were the comments from the survey participants. Folta reports:

What I find most charming in this study are the quotes, which the researchers highlight in “Patron Voices” sections. They’re full of great little lines, like people calling the library “a touchstone” and “a place to rely on,” and that “knowing it’s there makes me feel better about my life in the city.”

What to see more results? Read the full article on the Literary Hub website.

Canyon Branch Now Open

Leave a comment

I’m proud to share that the 18th location of the Palm Beach County Library System has opened.

Canyon Branch, located in the Canyon Town Center in Western Boynton, is a 33,000 sq ft facility with a beautiful plaza space, a drive-up service window, our largest meeting room seating 300 people, and the first maker space in the system.

Reporter Carolyn DiPaolo wrote a wonderful article about our opening day and the amenities of the building.

As well, local NPR reporter Wilkine Brutus visited the branch for a preview day and published an article about the library along with an interview with myself.

A project of this size cannot be done without a great team effort. Thank you to everyone who made this new location possible. This includes our Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator, the Library Advisory Board, and the Friends of the Library. Most of all, thank you to all County staff who helped with the project, especially my library employees. Everyone went above and beyond to make this happen.

I invite you to visit the new Canyon Branch to see it for yourself. It is open seven days a week and four evenings until 9 pm.

Learn more about the Palm Beach County Library System by visiting our website.