Memorial Hall Library's Community Impact

The public library is one of the last strongholds of third spaces that is entirely free for the public. It remains uncompromising in the weather and can serve as a refuge from sweltering heat or the bitter cold of winter. You can stay as long as you like, and many public libraries often host events to bring the community together. However, this is a third space that has been significantly compromised as libraries have dealt with funding cuts, tensions over book bans, and technology pivots.

For Kimberly Lynn, her role as assistant director of Andover’s Memorial Hall Library has kept her at the forefront of discussions regarding public funding cuts.

The library benefits from federal funding, specifically to pay for databases on health and wellness, language and education, and newspaper archives from The Boston Globe. But an executive order signed by President Trump on April 4 slashed funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), effectively discontinuing those resources.

“All residents in Massachusetts were benefiting from those products,” Lynn said.

“All the databases level the playing field for everybody,” added Memorial Hall Library’s newly appointed director, Esme Green.

Andover’s Memorial Hall Library is one of the oldest buildings in town. It officially opened on May 30, 1873. Lynn has held her role for 10 years and looks forward to coming into work every single day. Green, who has only worked at the library for four months, previously held the director’s role at Goodnow Library in Sudbury, Mass. She’s enjoying her new role immensely and loves working in a town like Andover.

“A lot of people think libraries are going away and no one’s here, but we’re as busy as we ever were,” Lynn said.

For her, the library is a place for community. People come in to study, learn new skills, and gather with others in town.

Unfortunately for library lovers like Lynn, in 2024, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked over 800 attempts to censor library books and services. Book bans have been met with widespread critique, arguably eroding the library’s capability to act as a third space for different communities across the United States.

When asked about how book bans have impacted Memorial Hall Library, Lynn pondered the question for a moment. She’s very grateful to be in Massachusetts, and more specifically in Andover, because it’s been relatively non-issue.

“I always say, as a librarian, there’s something in this building to offend everyone,” she said, laughing. “Everyone has different tastes, opinions, and comfort levels.”

Green agreed with Lynn, stating that the library has a supportive board of trustees that will stand by their decisions on books. Currently, the library is home to titles that have been banned in multiple states, such as Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale.

Green said that conversations have been held about where certain books should be placed in the library, but they’ve never escalated to result in an actual book ban.

“We have procedures in place, and a hotline we can lean on for help in case anything terrible happens,” Green added.

As a result of the President’s executive order, state attorneys filed a lawsuit challenging the ruling, saying it usurps the power of Congress. Some libraries have also been forced to lay off staff and limit services.

Green confirmed the discontinuation of the databases mentioned above but also stated that Memorial Hall Library hasn’t experienced any direct cuts at present.

“We expect things to be challenging for the next few years,” she said.

Both Green and Lynn recognize the importance of ensuring the library stays current with new technologies to serve their patrons best, while also preserving what makes it such a valuable community space. Many people lack access to the technologies that are so central to their everyday lives. They depend on the library to supply those resources.

According to Lynn, Memorial Hall’s staff is always helping patrons fill out online job applications or different necessary forms.

“We want to be the place where basically when someone comes in here, we want to make their life easier and better,” Green added. “Libraries are about making people’s lives better.”

Books are not the only thing you can check out at Memorial Hall Library. Lynn shared that patrons check out other available items, which include a bocce set, a bike repair kit, and a folding table. Keeping the library as an actual community space, where patrons are not required to pay to be there, is very important to both Green and Lynn.

“We’re all people. We all care about the same stuff, our families, our lives,” Lynn said.

“The more that we get together, the more we understand each other, and get to know about each other, maybe these divisions can be lessened.”

Green and Lynn’s view of libraries as an essential third space has remained consistent throughout their careers.

“People have this idea that the library is all about books, but the library is all about community, and it’s always been that way,” Green mused.

“People are drawn to the library to make connections,” she added. “You don’t have to have a reason to be there, you don’t have to have money to be there, it’s for everyone.

That is something she is reminded of every day, as her office is located on the floor of the library, which serves as a designated quiet space. And without fail, she sees regular patrons spill in every single day, ready to work alongside each other, quietly, but undoubtedly in community.

“The library’s never just a static place,” Green concluded, reflecting on the series of challenges they have and will continue to face.

“We’re always in a state of flux and turnover. As the world changes, our patrons evolve too.”