Bright Idea

Until public libraries became popular in the United States in the mid-1800s, not everyone had access to the information and ideas contained in books, says Erie County Public Library Executive Director Erin Wincek.

“You had access if you went to a university with books or you were rich,” she said. “But if you were poor, or an immigrant, or a woman or a person of color, you had no access to the same information. Public libraries stepped up and said, ‘Everyone should have access,’ so they opened their doors and they allowed everyone to share the ideas and information of the day.”

Chart the course of public libraries and the same concept has prevailed over time. In the 1990s, public libraries were at the forefront of the digital age, providing computers and internet access to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.