Public libraries are part of the safety net

I’d like to remind readers that our public libraries are important threads in our county’s safety net.

At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting in early March, Supervisor Jackie Speier forcefully noted that county leaders need to focus on essentials — food, housing and health care — to ensure our neediest residents are protected from the vagaries of federal spending trends.

I agree. That said, all the programs receiving Measure K funds can be seen as threads woven together to provide a better quality of life for all San Mateo County residents, particularly our most vulnerable residents.

Our local libraries should be viewed as strong threads in the county’s safety net. They provide knowledge and empowerment via news, literature, scientific and technical publications, music and movies, as well as staff that can help connect residents to local resources. When we think about some of the current priorities highlighted by Supervisor Speier, it’s good to remember that libraries are important resources for folks transitioning from housing insecure to secure housing, for example, by enabling them to use a library’s computers to access services such as employment searches, complete job applications or to do homework for students of all ages.

For the past year, I have served as a volunteer with the Redwood City Library Foundation, working to craft fundraising emails, writing articles for the foundation’s newsletter and serving as a board member.

While I thought I had a pretty good handle on the role of the library in pretty much any town, I have been surprised to see how many other services libraries provide to help empower our county residents. From the “Summer Learning Challenge” that provides books and incentives to keep K-12 students reading throughout the summer to prevent “summer learning loss,” to a “Bridging the Digital Divide” initiative that allows library patrons to checkout Wi-Fi hot spots (just like a book) to provide reliable broadband access.

Programs such as Silicon Valley Second Harvest, which helps mitigate food insecurity for thousands of Peninsula residents, and our libraries and the programs they offer are not designed to solve an individual’s challenges but are intended as assists, as helping hands to those who are transitioning to a more stable life. Libraries likewise offer a helping hand, offering our residents multiple resources (for free) to our residents who need an assist in challenging times.

Let’s keep our libraries part of the safety net in San Mateo County.

Mike McGuire is a board member of the Redwood City Library Foundation.