Libraries draw more users seeking relief from rising costs

Americans facing tighter household budgets are turning to public libraries for books, movies, technology and places to spend time without making a purchase. Several major library systems shared figures with NPR showing growth in membership, borrowing and attendance. Librarians say rising living costs are contributing to that demand, alongside stronger outreach and renewed interest in reading.

For Izzy Rivera, who lives near Topeka, Kan., libraries help her maintain a reading habit of at least one book a week while saving for law school. She borrows printed books and digital editions through Libby, uses Kanopy to watch movies and accesses the New York Times free of charge. At a library sale in October, she bought 15 used books for about $20. Local branches also give her somewhere to go without the spending expectations of a coffee shop.

That search for savings comes as food and other everyday expenses continue climbing, partly because of the war with Iran. A Pew Research Center survey released in mid-October found that 44% of Americans had struggled to pay for at least one basic necessity over the previous year. Seventy percent of adults said they had reduced spending on extras, including streaming subscriptions. Affordability was also a leading concern for voters approaching the midterm elections.

The growth in library use spans several services. At the Los Angeles Public Library, makerspace use increased 37% between the two most recent fiscal years, while visits and digital circulation each rose more than 20%. Chicago recorded increases exceeding 11% in visits, adult card applications and Wi-Fi sessions from January through July compared with the same period a year earlier. Arizona's Maricopa County Library District reported that Kanopy use rose 34% and Hoopla use climbed 78% over three years.

The picture is not uniform. Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library recorded an 8.1% rise in digital media borrowing last year, while physical circulation declined. Requests for technology assistance, including help completing online job applications, have also surged. Earlier research found increased library use during the 2001 recession and the Great Recession, although a 1986 article found no evidence supporting a similar connection. How much current growth stems from affordability pressures remains unclear.

Librarians point to other explanations, including improved marketing, social media's influence on reading and greater awareness of services beyond books. Libraries are increasingly popular with Millennials and Gen Z, including people who do not read extensively. Pandemic restrictions also accelerated an existing shift toward digital borrowing and streaming, according to Los Angeles senior librarian Edwin Rodarte.

Increasing demand coincides with uncertainty over federal support. Last year, the Trump administration sought to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and cancel library grants. The grants were restored after attorneys general from 21 states sued. The White House's April budget proposal for the current fiscal year nevertheless recommended eliminating the agency's funding. American Library Association President Maria McCauley said libraries depend on federal, state and local money.

Libraries also provide food security services and lend equipment such as Wi-Fi hotspots, induction cooktops and camping gear. At Philadelphia's Parkway Central Branch, a biweekly crafting meetup supplies sewing machines and materials free of charge, allowing participants to explore hobbies before investing in equipment.

In the same branch's music department, Nathaniel Muns has been practicing on a keyboard after his own broke. A recent college graduate working with an AI startup, he described sharply higher living costs and said library visits help him unwind after work.