Two days after Hurricane Milton swept through the area, fatigued locals found peace, commiseration and air conditioning inside the Largo Public Library.
People brought tangles of charging cords to give their electronics more juice while enjoying warm meals brought in from whatever fast food joint they could find open. In the wake of the worst storm Tampa Bay has seen in a century, survival mode also fostered empathy—a virtue this world desperately needs more of.
Parents brought kids to enjoy the reading nooks and gaming tables. Every available seat was filled, but library patrons hunted for open electrical outlets for those looking for a place to plug in. Library staff even pried open the closed outlets in the middle of the floor for others to use.
Outside, the world was filled with downed power lines, toppled trees and poor cell service. But inside the library, we found moments of calm and connection—to each other and the rest of the battered Tampa Bay area.
It’s hard to put into words just how important local libraries are to a community—during hurricane season and not. Libraries are among the few places on Earth where you don’t have to spend money to enjoy their products and services. They’re one of the last great equalizers—class and economic status don’t exist inside a library. Still, libraries are deeply political even as they remain nonpartisan. The act of reading, the existence of books and libraries, and the ability to access them are rooted in progressive ideals about the right to access information. Accessing libraries and their ideally robust and diverse collection of materials is fundamental to a healthy community and democracy.