This is what a high school student told the Granbury ISD School Board. Wow.

[Marthe48]

27. Not sure what you mean

Public libraries were established to have a collection of books available for the public, who might not have been able to afford their own copies. Libraries and their use have evolved from housing collections only certain classes of people could view, to being open to the public, to becoming social and cultural centers, to having Internet access, to whatever the next step will be.

I collected books my whole life, and I have the books my grandmother and parents kept. I was lucky to buy a dozen boxes of books from an old school, and then another large collection at a yard sale. The varied inscriptions tell me so much. Many of the old books are gifts. Some were given as prizes from the teacher for good work. Having books and sharing books was important to the generations before us, who understood that education was key to success.

If we can't afford the books, and the libraries and schools are not allowed to offer it, then the next step is to share copies, give copies, leave copies on a bench and trust fate will get it to a person who needs to read it. Buying and sharing books augments what the libraries and schools ought to be able to do.