To the Editor:

We have all been facing perhaps the greatest public health crisis in our country in a century. And now we can add a society that is stunned, outraged, and angry over racism and abuse of power. In this deeply disturbing time, I am reflecting on libraries in the context of these twin crises.

Libraries are for everyone. The library profession deeply values equality and democracy. We aim to serve everyone from the well-heeled to the homeless; from the young to the old; people of all races, religions, gender identities, nationalities — everyone is welcome here.

Knowledge is power, it has often been said. While our knowledge resources are currently online only, we hope to soon be back providing you with physical materials to read, view, and listen to. Stay tuned on that — announcements coming soon.

In the meantime, our online resources are, we hope, deeply helpful at a time like this. Just The New York Times online alone is a great help to put these stunning developments into context, and to keep abreast of the news.

The mission of the Guilderland Public Library is to “provide quality library materials and services to our community for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment.” To quote a message issued by the New York Public Library yesterday, this mission “directly combats divisiveness, misinformation, ignorance, hate, and racism.”

Guilderland is a profoundly diverse community, where approximately 50 different languages are spoken in people’s homes. Our diversity is our strength. We are proud to serve all people of Guilderland and beyond, no matter what concepts might be used to divide them into groups. All people are created equal.

Thank you, and stay safe.

Tim Wiles

Director

Guilderland Public Library