The instability and fear emanating from the US Presidential Election on 5 November has left the world in a state of limbo. Here Jennie Rose Halperin, Director of Library Futures at NYU Law’s Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy, explains why US public libraries should be buffered from the immediate impact, but has gathered comments from her colleagues across the US library sector showing threat levels remain high.

WHILE the world’s eyes are turned to the US Presidential election, when it comes to the future of libraries, the stakes are significantly higher at the state and local levels. Federal funding for libraries is minimal, coming to just under $200m.

The total operating expenses for libraries including local funds is estimated at around $8bn which means that federal funding makes up only 2.5 per cent of all funding, at most. While the federal government might set the cultural tone for schools and libraries as well as provide needed IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) funding to support programs and services, ultimately, it is up to voters to vote in their local elections to ensure that library services continue apace with community needs. Needless to say, Democrats look more favourably on libraries, particularly at the federal level, and support for education and libraries should be a centrepiece of policy discussions in the US.

Jennie Rose Halperin

With censorship and other challenges to intellectual freedom on the rise, there is significant concern for the future of libraries in the US. Library workers around the country are seeing funding slashed and livelihoods threatened by bad actors, even as the need for services continues, bolstered by high wealth inequality and the privatisation that underscores the need for public services. Ultimately, the future of libraries in the US comes down to a brutal fight for resources that are currently being threatened by reactionary forces around the country. The precipitous rise of anti-democratic rhetoric alone should be evidence that libraries are more crucial than ever.

While this may paint a bleak picture of the state of American libraries, there is also a flourishing of innovation at the local level led by workers, as illustrated by Shamichael Hallman’s new book Meet Me at the Library (we’re doing a book talk with Shamichael in December!), and a new surge of interest in intellectual freedom initiatives led by a coalition of actors from across the sector.

Libraries are made up of people – the workers, the patrons, and the broader communities they serve. Supporting libraries means supporting unions; fostering civic engagement; addressing neoliberalism, colonialism, genocide, and hegemony; decreasing wealth inequality; and increasing community access to quality information

But rather than answering this question myself, I asked library leaders from around the country to tell me: What’s next for libraries after November? Below, a selection of their answers, edited for length and clarity and divided into themes:

Equitable Access to Information and Privatisation

“After the upcoming US election, libraries may see a renewed focus on equitable access to information, driven by the leadership of the future Director of the IMLS and the Librarian of Congress. With public anticipation for increases in library funding legislation, there could be a significant investment in technology and community programs, enabling libraries to play a pivotal role in promoting civic engagement and literacy. This shift could ultimately maintain and enhance libraries as dynamic hubs of knowledge and innovation in their communities.” – Sam Helmick, Iowa City Public Library, current American Library Association President.

“The fight will remain the same: to protect and expand public institutions, including the library. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have embraced the neoliberal privatisation of public goods for my entire life. A Trump presidency will embolden the worst elements of anti-public US society, making our work organising from the left much harder. But I’ll wake up Wednesday morning the way I always do, organising with my community to expand access to library resources and services.” - Emily Drabinski, Former President of the American Library Association, Queens College.

“The rightward swing of the US courts has resulted in many decisions favouring corporate interests over the public good over the last 20 years; the September ruling of the appellate court against the Internet Archive is just one more. The composition of the 2025 US government in the executive and legislative branches will determine a great deal about the chance of gaining needed protections for digital ownership and against price gouging for ebooks and textbooks, as well as freedom from political interference in the matter of library holdings.” – Maria Bustillos, The Brick House, Flaming Hydra;

“While the tone and tenor of the book ban and discrimination campaigns will shift depending on the outcome, for many libraries and schools nothing substantive will change. Those political actors will continue to pursue their policy and social objectives because the technique of attacking libraries, education, and the public sector works for them.” – John Chtraska, Every Library.

“After this upcoming election, many of us in US libraries expect more of the same - continued massacres in Gaza, committed by Israel and funded by our tax dollars, reactionary attacks on public institutions including libraries, press, and weather forecast offices, unprecedented climate disasters, increasing institutional censorship, and rampant mis and disinformation. The only unknown is, ‘Will things get worse under a new administration?’.” – Alison Macrina, Library Freedom Project

Mis and Dis-information

“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the election will halt the [misinformation] assault on libraries, which is so multi-dimensional that no elected official has authority to end every attack. That said, where those winning their elections support the rights to read and to be free from censorship, they will populate the offices within their control with similar-minded people, eliminating government support for those demonising libraries in their jurisdictions.” – Michelle Wu, Georgetown Law Library emeritus

“I have serious concerns in our state (Iowa), where we had a very high number of library adverse bills introduced last year, that we will see more of the same challenges to intellectual freedom, loss of local control, and potentially funding loss if the GPO maintains control of the legislature at a national and local level that will negatively impact our work and our communities. Those concerns go much deeper if Trump is elected. I believe our democracy is at an even higher risk if he takes office.” – Jennie Garner, North Liberty, Iowa

“Public libraries in the United States are largely locally funded and governed, so the short-term answer would be that nothing will change for them post-election. But the results of this election could well embolden or chill national groups such as Moms for Liberty that have become adept at shaping local library policies from a national level.” – Laura Crossett, Library Futures;

“Trump’s presidential campaign win in 2016 opened the door for far-right extremists to usher in a new era of censorship and discrimination that put public, school, and academic libraries in the crosshairs. The resulting attacks on education – and notably on American children’s rights to free expression—have intensified in the years since, with defunding efforts, annihilation of librarian and media specialist positions, school board takeovers, and violent threats to health and safety. In the short term, U.S. libraries should be prepared for increased scrutiny and threats, regardless of the election results.” – Michelle Reed, Library Futures.

Technology and the Rise of Vendors

“At Re:Create, we’re focused on protecting fair use and the public domain, and for good or ill that hasn’t traditionally been a partisan issue. Libraries and their allies will be fighting to get the AI conversation focused on the public interest, including the benefits to research and education when fair use helps ensure AI technology is less biased and can be developed by folks who don’t have billion-dollar licensing budgets.” – Brandon Butler, Re:Create Coalition.

“The past several years have demonstrated the vulnerabilities of relying on commercial technical platforms and “content” vendors who have neither obligation nor incentive to prioritise credibility, privacy, or accessibility — values they can further neglect when empowered by corporate-friendly legislators and courts. Librarians — as a national network, and in partnership with sympathetic allies, both domestic and global — will need to advocate for and contribute to the creation of resilient public interest resources and solidarity networks.” – Shannon Mattern, University of Pennsylvania, METRO Library Council.

“In a very concrete way, E-rate funding (federal funding for school and library broadband] could be significantly impacted. A change in the balance of the commission in favour of the Republicans might mean that hotspot eligibility could be cancelled, removing support for a program that has the potential to provide improved online access to countless Americans at a discounted rate.” – Ben Gocker, Newburgh Public Library.