Alternatives to Public Libraries

This article was published in the April 1987 issue of The Freeman.

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Proponents of government programs often contend that the services provided by government could not be furnished by the private sector. It is in the public interest, they argue, that the government compel individuals to support these programs with their tax dollars. Among the most sacred of these programs are public schools and public libraries, supposedly the bastions of democracy.

However, such arguments ignore the lessons of history, for America’s past is replete with examples of voluntary, cooperative associations which provided for the many needs of the citizenry. One of the most striking examples is the evolution of libraries in pre-Civil War America. Even today, alternatives to tax-supported libraries exist. Read more.