Public Libraries and America’s Reading Crisis

Americans are reading less than ever. Policymakers know this is a problem, but they rarely look to public libraries for solutions. Instead, libraries have embraced an agenda of redundancy, morphing into technology centers, daytime homeless shelters, and all-purpose community centers. It’s time for libraries to return to their traditional mission: offering Americans serious books and a place for quiet study.Guest Stephen Eide joins us to discuss how refocusing public libraries could help reverse America’s reading decline.Stephen Eide is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He has visited more than 300 public libraries.This podcast discusses themes from Stephen’s essay in the Spring 2026 issue of National Affairs: “The Mission of Public Libraries.”