We're a bit biased, but in our minds there are very few places that rival the magic of an independent bookstore. There is one place, however, where we make an exception: the library. Many of us booksellers and book-lovers grew up amongst the stacks of our local library. For some of us, our only relationship with the library is through books, events, and the occasional school research project, but for many other members of our communities, libraries represent so much more.
Libraries provide some of the most hands-on, community-focused services of any of or public institutions. They're one of the last truly free and accessible places available to many of the most vulnerable folks in our communities. They provide free internet access, free access to air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter, they often provide support for those looking for jobs, benefits, continuing education. The list goes on and on.
The best way that you can support your local library is by getting your library card. This is an important metric or many libraries when applying for grants and getting approval for budgetary spend. And while, September might have marked the end of Library Card Sign Up Month, there's nothing stopping you from supporting your local library all year round.
Here are some of our favorite books that feature the importance (and magic) of libraries:
Is This a Cry for Help by Emily Austin
A past Underbrush Book Club pick, Is This a Cry for Help is one of the best books to read if you're looking to learn more about the important part libraries play in communities. Told with the same emotional tone of Austin's previous books, this latest novel is a story of grief, friendship, love, and hope. It's also a coming-of-age story for those of us who still feel a little lost at times, despite being "all grown up".
The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson
A standalone companion to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, The Mountains We Call Home is a powerful novel about love and justice in 1950s Appalachia. When a woman and her husband are unjustly jailed for their interracial marriage, she is sent to the men's prison to work in their library. This novel explores the power and importance of both literacy and access to literature, through a story that examines the frequent criminalization faced by those in Appalachia.
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
This cozy, Japanese novel follows a mysterious librarian in Tokyo and her unique ability to connect her patrons with the exact book they are needing. If ever there was a heartfelt novel that talks about the comfort books can provide during times of turmoil, change, and hopelessness, this is the one. If you love books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but want something a bit more bookish, pick this one up.
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
This is a book about grief, but it's also a book about community and the magic of third spaces. When a 13 year old boy unexpectedly loses his father and begins to hear voices, he finds solace at his local library. It's at the library where he meets a variety of unexpected characters and a special book, each with the power to change his life.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
If you want something a bit more lighthearted, look no further than Funny Story by Emily Henry. This delightful little romance novel follows a children's librarian who is dumped by her fiancé almost immediately after moving to his hometown. Completely alone, but unwilling to give up her dream job, she decides to move in with her ex-fiance's new-fiance's ex-boyfriend, Miles. I bet you can guess what happens next...
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
While each of the books on this list hold a special place in our heart, we all unanimously agree that Upright Women Wanted is one of our very favorite. Set in a near-future, dystopian version of the American West, Upright Women Wanted follows a group of queer librarians smuggling resistance material (and more) while, literally, fighting fascists. This is a fast-paced novella that is also a timely statement on book bans, identity, and who is considered a hero.
PS: Don't miss the sequel, Downright Scoundrels Needed, which releases on March 16, 2027!
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
The Library of the Unwritten is one of the greatest found-family books we've ever had the pleasure of reading, and you can quote us on that. Set in a library in Hell full of unwritten books, this fantasy adventure follows a librarian whose job it is to keep restless characters within their books. While this book might be fantasy, there is so much to learn about friendship, family, and what it means to choose your destiny and write your own story.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
This cozy, magical little book is another one of our store favorites. When her beloved library is destroyed in a magical revolution, a librarian and her assistant flee to her hometown with as many smuggled spell books as they can carry. This is one of the coziest fantasy books out there. Seriously, reading this as a book-lover feels like a big, warm hug.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Many of us cried our little 12-year-old hearts out to this book, but if you've somehow never had an opportunity to read this one, take this as your sign. The Book Thief follows a young foster child in WWII Germany who begins stealing books from book burnings and sharing them with her family and neighbors. Another story about the power of shared access to literature, The Book Thief is one of the most powerful middle grade books of the last 20 years.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
This is another middle grade book that should be read by everyone, regardless of how old you might be. This heartwarming little book follows a young boy and a grumpy cat as they work to open a little free library, all while trying to uncover what exactly happened to the town's library many year's before. If you need a little bit more convincing to dedicate an afternoon of your time to the powerful little book, I'll leave you with our favorite quote:
“For the first time, it occurred to me that books don’t get used up. Books got powered by the reader, didn’t they? They could be read again and again.”
