Students discuss the resources libraries offer and how to show support
By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org
As February comes to a close, many students have recognized National Library Lovers’ Month, a time to express specific appreciation for the libraries that offer countless resources to community members. In Davis, this includes the public Mary L. Stephens Library and the Peter J. Shields Library on campus, which is well known to busy college students studying for finals, borrowing textbooks, printing essays and more.
While it is commonly understood that libraries loan books, they are also important hubs of community building and cultural diversity. Local libraries have held events such as the Year of the Snake celebration at the Mary L. Stephens Library on Jan. 18. The Shields Library also hosts community events, such as an “Art at Shields” percussion event that was held on Feb. 25 and a “Data Science Tea Time” event on Feb. 27 and March 6.
Thea Wagner, a fifth-year sustainable agriculture and food systems major, touched on the important role she believes libraries hold.
“I think they’re wonderful community spaces, and they’re incredibly vital public spaces,” Wagner said. “Public spaces, libraries in particular, provide a really important resource to the community in that it is free and accessible to everyone. They often have free bathrooms, free water, it’s usually accessible [and] a lot of them have free Wi-Fi. Also, sometimes you can get free or limited computer access.”
In addition to its ample resources, Shields Library also received 52% of votes for Best Study Spot in the 2024 Best of Davis survey.
Public study spaces like libraries are becoming increasingly important as more and more spaces are being monetized. Other public spaces such as malls are based around selling merchandise, and many coffee shops expect patrons to purchase something in order to use that space for studying or socializing.
In this way, libraries are able to act as third spaces — a place outside of the home and work for community building and social interaction — while standing as symbols of free educational resources for all.
Quinn Chapin, a third-year English and history double major, works at the Shields Library circulation desk, welcome desk and discharge area, where books are checked in. Chapin believes that libraries provide opportunities to both community members and, specifically, to students.
“They’re a really good resource for people in the community because it [offers] equal access to information,” Chapin said. “And specifically as a student, I find that I get a lot of books here from the library.”
Despite their many resources, libraries have been losing funding for years, with New York City’s mayor proposing to reduce the city’s library budgets by more than $58 million in 2024. The National Archives and Records Administration has also reported having to get by on its slimmest budget in 30 years in 2024. This issue is only likely to get worse, with libraries often being seen as sucking up public funds due to the fact that they do not churn a profit.
Chapin commented on the benefits libraries can provide and why it is important that they receive proper funding.
“They could definitely be funded a little bit more, because they’re a really important resource for people who don’t necessarily have the personal funds to purchase books because of how expensive books are,” Chapin said.
Rebecca Newman, a fourth-year English and cinema and digital media double major, works at the Shields Library. Newman believes that libraries are increasingly important even as more and more people are relying on digital mediums for information.
“Don’t forget about libraries — because in an advancing digital age where everything is online and there’s a rise of technology like [Artificial Intelligence], misinformation is getting more and more rampant,” Newman said. “Libraries are going to be more important than ever. Not just in terms of staying informed, but libraries as a space are an incredibly valuable resource that a lot of people won’t recognize they need until [they’re] gone, because a lot of libraries are losing funding and losing support.”
There are many things that students can do to show support for their local libraries, both on and off campus. Newman suggested that students first support their libraries simply by using the resources they provide.
“Just being in this space and using the resources helps keep them afloat, because showing that members of the community use the resource is often just enough to keep it going,” Newman said.
Wagner also offered her view on how community members can show support for their local libraries.
“Just signing up for a library card keeps things afloat there,” Wagner said.
Students looking to get even more involved can reach out to their local public libraries about volunteer opportunities, such as the Mary L. Stephens Library, which offers opportunities for tutoring adult learners and language tutoring for Spanish or English as a second language.
No matter how students choose to support their libraries, the most important thing they can do to keep them alive, as these UC Davis students have shared, is by continually showing up.
Written by Amber Warnke – features@theaggie.org
