Libraries Provide Critical Services for Working Low-Income Families, Particularly During COVID

Access to public libraries is especially important for low income working families across Connecticut,  “because libraries provide information on social services and job opportunities, free internet and computer access, and a range of free programs, community meetings, and even 3-D printers,” according to a new report issued by Connecticut’s United Way organizations.

Even before the pandemic, 38% of Connecticut’s households lacked the income to pay for necessities such as housing, food, childcare, health care, technology, and transportation, according to the report. That number includes those families living at or below the federal poverty level and the 27% who live above it but below the basic cost of living threshold.

Those families are called ALICE by the United Way, an acronym that stands for, Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households are the focus of the report issued this week.

After a natural disaster, the report points out, libraries serve as second responders, providing electricity, internet access, charging stations, heat or air conditioning, and current information on recovery efforts. In lower-income communities, the library can provide a safe and inclusive place for individuals and families. That’s true of communities small and large.

“Hartford Public Library is one of the most trusted institutions in our community, so we have a special ability to be of assistance to the most vulnerable. It’s a responsibility we take seriously,” explained Bridget Quinn-Carey, President and CEO of the Hartford Public Library. “For many people, including people experiencing homelessness and immigrants trying to get a toehold in America, we are a safe and welcoming place where they can get help to improve their situation. Every decision we make is with this in mind.”

A 2019 Gallup Poll found that lower-income households (earning less than $40,000 per year) visit the library more frequently than average- and higher-income households.  There are 221 libraries across Connecticut’s eight counties, www.UnitedForALICE.org/Connecticut.

The report suggests that the data on where local libraries are – and aren’t - located “can help stakeholders identify where there are gaps in needed services (such as in areas with a high percentage of ALICE households but few or no libraries) and what type of intervention might be most helpful.”

For example, the report points to areas with a small population but a high percentage of ALICE households, which “may benefit more from mobile library services than a new brick-and-mortar building, or library services (like free computers) could be offered in other public buildings.”

The report indicates that “Natural and human-made disasters will continue to impact ALICE households disproportionately. Across Connecticut, the increasing impact of these incidents — from severe weather to pandemics — is felt most acutely by ALICE households and their surrounding communities.

“Public libraries are doing incredible work to motivate and support parents to engage in their children’s education,” Jo Giudice, co-chair of the Public Library Association Family Engagement Task Force and Dallas Public Library Director said recently. “With hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more critical to find new ways to engage all families, in person and virtually, and counter the COVID-19 learning slide. Libraries can help families facing new stresses, like loss of employment, overcome those challenges while also inspiring them to help their children learn.” In Hartford, Quinn-Carey noted that “It was important to us during the pandemic to continue providing service, including Wi-Fi hotspots, quality online programming for adults and children, and wellness checks.”

The Connecticut State Library reported in 2019 that the past two decades have seen substantial change in public library use in Connecticut, ending with moderate declines in library visits and circulation, but a 67% increase in program attendance over that time.  It was noted that following eight consecutive years of post-recession decreases in circulation, total per capita circulation numbers rebounded and increased slightly, driven by an increase in book (physical and electronic) circulation. The increase was fueled substantially by audio and video, with the number of video downloads tripling in the previous year.

Program attendance was described by the Connecticut State Library as “the long-term success story,” as library programs continued to trend upward. “Libraries are offering more programs in response to community demands for a freely-accessible gathering place for cultural and intellectual events. Seven of the top ten towns with the highest per capita library program attendance in Connecticut have a population under 6,000 people, the data analysis indicated, added that “Besides programs, there is a continuing critical demand for public internet access.” 

“We see the library as fundamentally an empathetic place for everyone to explore new ideas and to pursue the kind of life they dream of,” Quinn-Carey observed. September is national library card sign-up month, celebrated by the American Library Association and libraries across the country. 

The United Way report also noted that baby boomers and millennials, the two largest population bubbles, are getting older. “This natural aging of the population is increasing the number of seniors as more boomers pass age 65. With more than one-third of the population over age 50, Connecticut is the seventh oldest state in the United States. By 2025, adults over age 65 are projected to make up at least 20% of the population in almost every town in the state.  Those demographics may also impact the role of libraries in Connecticut,” the report concluded.