On April 9, 1883, the first publicly-funded library in the U.S. opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire. There may be no single institution more necessary to the free exchange of ideas than the public library – the place where those ideas are housed and made available to anyone with a library card.  In the last ten years, librarians have worked to defend the First Amendment rights of readers by opposing governmental intrusions into library records.

Writers would be lost without being able to read others’ work; public libraries make that possible.

If you love ideas, freedom, and books, support your public library – and while you’re at it, hug a librarian today.