It’s more likely than you think!
Accessibility is a hot topic for libraries. Usually this takes the form of making sure shelving is far enough apart for navigating with a wheelchair. More progressive libraries might have discussions about having non-quiet hours for folks who can’t control their speech, or installing lights that don’t flicker to make the space more accessible to folks with visual sensitivities. Maybe you’ll even hear about plans to ungender the restrooms to make the space more accessible to transgender and non-binary people.
All of these are important accessibility concerns that absolutely should be addressed. But many libraries think their responsibilities end at the door, or perhaps the edge of the parking lot. This does a disservice to the communities they exist to serve. What good is a library that people in the community cannot get to?
“We have a big parking lot!” you might say. Where is that parking lot? Is it between the building and the street, where it’s easy for cars to get to? That means that everyone not arriving by car has to cross a large concrete or asphalt wasteland, dodging two-ton metal machines driven by distracted people.
“We have sidewalks!” Alright, but where do those sidewalks extend to? Is it just the little developed area where the library is placed? Could people from the apartment complex half a mile away walk to the library using uninterrupted sidewalks? Are there pedestrian signals and well-maintained crosswalks at the intersections they’ll have to cross? Are there curb cuts?
Is your library accessible by transit? Trams, light rail, buses? How many transfers will people in your community need to make? How close to the library will they be dropped off? How close to their homes will they be picked up?
Does your parking lot have bicycle parking? How many bicycle parking spots compared to car parking spots? You can park 10-12 bicycles into the same space as a single car. Are you sure you can’t convert a few of your car spaces to make more bicycle parking available? Are there bicycle lanes leading to your library from places people might start a ride from? How much of the distance would a cyclist need to cover mixed with car traffic instead of separate bicycle lanes? Are the cycling lanes protected from traffic, or is the only protection a painted line on the ground?
Libraries can’t sit back and trust that the community will arrive at their doorstep. For the library to serve its community, the community must be able to get easily and safely to the library. While some disabled people need cars to get to the library, many cannot drive, cannot afford vehicles, or experience other challenges. Accessibility means providing multiple ways to access the library so that people can use the method that works best for them. Libraries exist to serve people. They should not be designed around the needs of cars.
Libraries must take an active role for advocating for the accessibility needs of their community at the community level, not just on their own property. Get involved in city planning to advocate for safe and easy access to the library from everywhere in your community.