Martin Dagoberto Lydgate Driggs: Defending a cornerstone of American democracy

There’s no shortage of urgent issues demanding our attention. In moments like these, we each have to choose something local and worth fighting for. For me, that’s our library.

Rural public libraries like ours are part of what makes our country truly exceptional. As co-chair of the Griswold Memorial Library Board, defending this pillar of democracy is central to my focus. And right now, our library is in danger. Just months ago, our little library in Colrain received the National Medal for Library Services — the highest honor a library can receive. But now the very agency that gave us that award — the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — is being dismantled, and the $10,000 award we earned is in jeopardy.

Across the country, libraries face censorship, budget cuts, and political pressure. Here in Massachusetts, grants like the ones that helped our library to produce a local history podcast, safeguard local history, and expand our outreach services have been cut, and the funding for databases such as Libby is at risk. But we can still act locally. Speak up: Love your library? Tell your friends and your legislators. Show up: Stop in, get a library card, or join a program. Stand up: Advocate for full funding — libraries need your voice.

Libraries preserve our past and prepare us for the future. They bring us together and are patriotic spaces where free speech and civic responsibility are not just protected, but practiced. This moment is a test. Let’s stand up and say: Libraries matter.

Martin Dagoberto Lydgate Driggs

Colrain