As MLIS students, we aren’t here just to earn a degree, but to build a lifelong career rooted in service, access to information and community empowerment. But in 2025, we’re entering the profession during a time when libraries are facing a storm of political pressure, financial instability and increasing public scrutiny. I know from experience that it can be hard to work your way through a challenging assignment while that nagging fear that your dream profession is being pushed towards extinction sits at the back of your brain. 

That makes our support and our visibility more important than ever.

The idea that libraries are irrelevant is a tired myth, yet it’s one still echoed in policy proposals and budget decisions. Here’s the good news: The reality is that libraries are busy.

• Our programs are full. 
• Our internet access is vital. 
• Our collections are curated with care and intent, and patrons show up in droves to borrow books.

However, our colleagues are being challenged, even threatened, simply for doing their jobs.

That might sound dire, but it also creates an opening: for solidarity, for activism and for renewed public support. Here are five tangible ways to show up for your local library, especially if you’re just beginning your career in this field.

1. Use Your Local Library Regularly.

This might sound obvious, but even as MLIS students, many of us default to digital databases, university systems or our personal collections. Go study at your local library. Borrow their books. Get their gate count up. Spending time in your library is mutually beneficial for both you and the library. Not only will you glean some insights about what happens day to day in a library, but you also get a free, relaxing spot to study. In exchange, their metrics go up!

Of course, you already know how to find what you need, but don’t forget to tap into the knowledge and perspective of the librarians at your public branch. Coming to a librarian with an engaging question may just brighten their day.  Especially during count weeks (weeks where each interaction is tallied and tracked to be used in decision-making data), every checkout and question helps.

Whether you’re checking out books, using study rooms, printing materials or just stopping in to read the paper, your activity is logged as community engagement, and that data gets used to justify budgets.

2. Bring a Friend.

Do your friends all have library cards? If not, fix that. One of the most effective forms of outreach is word-of-mouth. Introducing someone to a library who hasn’t been in years (or ever) can be the start of their own relationship with it. Maybe they check out a book. Maybe they show up for a program. Maybe they tell someone else, and the growth becomes exponential. 

Public libraries need advocates beyond the usual suspects. Even if your friends are no longer in school with no need to study, and they aren’t the type to sit down and read a book, that doesn’t mean they won’t find the library useful.

Here’s a list of things happening in my library every day that your friends and family may find useful:

• Free printing. Everybody needs to use a printer every once in a while, and home printers are expensive and unreliable. Many public libraries offer a varying number of free (or cheap) prints per day. 
• WiFi and Computers.  Many people don’t have reliable access to wifi in their homes. Even those that do may experience outages. Local libraries offer free wifi and even computers to use. Many of the regulars at my library even bring their gaming laptops to play online games using our reliable and fast wifi. 
• A free third place. Sometimes you just need to get out of the house without spending money. Libraries offer a free, air-conditioned community space to spend your time without being at home or at work. 
• Programs. Libraries offer programs ranging from storytimes for children to arts and crafts for adults. Check with your local library to see what upcoming programs may interest you and your friends.

3. Volunteer or Intern

If you’re not currently working in a library, volunteering is a powerful way to both give back and gain experience. Many libraries rely heavily on volunteers for shelving, event support, literacy tutoring and outreach work. It’s an ideal way to build practical skills and show tangible support, especially for students just beginning their professional path.

Reach out to a librarian at your local library and see if there are any opportunities to volunteer. You might just spend a few hours once a week shelving, but when an interviewer asks if you have any library experience, you’ll still be able to say “Yes!”.

4. Partner with Advocacy Groups.

Organizations like EveryLibrary provide toolkits, petitions, fundraising campaigns and legislative alerts to help you stay engaged with the political side of library work. EveryLibrary’s Political Director, Patrick Sweeney, is not only a 2007 graduate of SJSU’s iSchool, but he also teaches courses on politics and libraries right here at the School of Information. If you’re looking for a way to engage nationally while still thinking locally, this is a great place to start.

I took Sweeney’s INFO 282 course on political advocacy for libraries last semester, and I learned an incredible amount about how to advocate for ourselves as library workers. Sweeney and EveryLibrary are doing great work advocating for libraries across the country.

5. Show Up and Speak Up.

Library boards and city councils aren’t glamorous, but they are powerful. These are the rooms where decisions get made about budgets, materials and leadership. Even a brief email or public comment can carry more weight than you might think.

If your library is located in an area that seems particularly anti-intellectual and hostile to libraries, this may seem like a Sisyphian effort. Still, libraries serve everyone and need support everywhere. Patrons of all political leanings and economic backgrounds read books, use Wi-Fi, attend genealogy workshops and bring their kids to storytime. Supporting your local library is a nonpartisan act that protects everyone’s right to read, learn and connect.

We Need to Be Seen.

Libraries aren’t dying, they’re being contested. That’s not the same thing. One of the most powerful things we can do as students, as library workers and as citizens is to make our support visible.

Show up. Ask questions. Use your voice. Use your card. The profession we’re training for needs more, and louder, advocates.