GAO Report Assesses Library Facilities

After conducting a national study of the condition of public library buildings, the Government Accountability Office released its findings on December 18. The GAO, a nonpartisan federal agency, undertook the study at the request of Congress, with strong encouragement from organizations including the American Library Association. 

“Investments in library facilities should be proportionate to the central role they play in learning, connection and opportunity for so many people,” ALA president Sam Helmick said in response to the report. “Unfortunately, in many parts of America today, the local public library building falls short of what the community needs.”  

The GAO surveyed approximately 16,400 public and tribal library buildings across the U.S. and four territories, with attention to exterior features including roofs, walls, and windows, as well as interior features such as elevators, ventilation, and flooring. The findings pertained to accessibility, safety, and energy efficiency. Maintenance has been deferred in about 70% of library buildings, the study determined, but the cost of labor and materials is a barrier. 

“On the basis of our nationally representative survey of libraries, we estimate 38 percent, or about 6,000 libraries, have at least one building system or feature in poor condition,” the GAO reported, compared to only “20 percent of libraries have all their systems in ‘good’ or ‘very good’ condition.” In addition, “an estimated 61 percent of libraries, or about 9,800, identified at least one building system or facility issue that poses a potential health or safety concern.” 

The GAO consulted research on public library infrastructure begun by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in February 2024. IMLS supplies federal grants for library programs and services, but “libraries are prohibited from using these funds for construction, including facility repair,” and “modifying buildings for conservation issues can be complicated.” 

Urban Libraries Council members contributed their insights to the GAO report. “Given public libraries’ outsized impact on the fabric of our communities, it’s unacceptable that, as a nation, we’re allowing them to deteriorate,” ULC president and CEO Brooks Rainwater said in a press statement. “We applaud the GAO for shedding light on this important issue, and we hope Congress, armed with this data, will act to include libraries in future infrastructure funding.”

Rainwater added, “Our nation’s public libraries are essential infrastructure, just like roads or bridges, and this report confirms we need to start treating them that way.”