When was the last time you went to the library?

Fight fake news; get a library card

By Mary Elizabeth Williams

Senior Writer

Published January 4, 2019 5:00PM (EST)

Salon introduces its Question of the Day, where we invite you to lead the conversation.

This week in Salon, New York Public Library president Anthony W. Marx recommends that if you want to save democracy, head over to your own library. "You can meet your neighbors there," he says. "You can find books there. You can find librarians eager to point you towards credible, vetted information there. You can find your community there."

But while 76 percent of Americans say that libraries "well serve the needs of their community," fewer than half have been in one in the past year. So have you visited your local library lately? And if so, what did you check out?


By Mary Elizabeth Williams

Mary Elizabeth Williams is a senior writer for Salon and author of "A Series of Catastrophes & Miracles." Follow her on Bluesky @maryelizabethw.

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