Shower curtains used inside library to protect books from roof leaks (l.), and one of several damaged air conditioning units (r.) Courtesy of GAO

A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights the urgent needs of library facilities across the country, with multiple factors contributing to ongoing maintenance and construction challenges. In “Public Libraries: Many Buildings Are Reported to Be in Poor Condition, with Increasing Deferred Maintenance,” released on December 18, the government agency found that an estimated 38 percent of the nation’s public library buildings—about 6,000—have at least one major building system in poor condition.

It may come as little surprise to most libraries that the need for capital improvements and repairs, as well as new construction to meet growing populations, is often far greater than their available resources. But the mission of the GAO—an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch—is to provide information to Congress. Aggregating this information for decision-makers at the highest level provides a valuable service for elected officials and library advocates alike.

As mandated by the 2024 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, from January 2024 to December 2025 GAO sent electronic surveys to 16,391 libraries that had been identified in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) FY22 Public Libraries Survey throughout 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four territories. GAO also conducted site visits to 21 public and two tribal libraries in seven states and territories. The agency reviewed data on estimated repair costs, and interviewed IMLS officials along with representatives from eight library associations and other stakeholders including the American Library Association (ALA); Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums; Association of Rural and Small Libraries; and Urban Libraries Council. (GAO will produce a similar report on America’s museums this spring.)

REPAIR BACKLOGS, ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS, AND IDENTIFYING ISSUES

According to the report, an estimated 70 percent of libraries—about 11,200—have a backlog of deferred maintenance and repair, with another estimated 70 percent expecting that deferred maintenance to persist or increase in the next three years. Some 39 percent had a backlog of more than $100,000 each. In one case reported, backlogged repair costs were so significant that the building’s roof collapsed, and the library was forced to construct a new facility. In 2021, according to an ALA report, the average U.S. library was more than 40 years old and needed renovation, expansion, or replacement.

An estimated 71 percent of libraries surveyed stated that construction costs, such as labor and materials, as well as limited funding, were their main challenges to addressing maintenance and repairs. Some 90 percent of the money needed for maintenance comes from local funding, which poses a particular difficulty for rural or smalltown libraries and those in high poverty areas. Lower populations, community budget shortfalls, and fewer grants and fundraising resources to draw from can constrain their ability to take care of their branches. While IMLS was directed in early December to reinstate all federal grants, libraries are prohibited from using that money for construction expenses, which include facility repair.

The most identified need was for repair to building envelopes—walls, foundations, and roofs—which may include asbestos abatement. These structural weaknesses have been exacerbated as the severity and frequency of extreme weather events increase; in addition to structural damage, water penetration often leads to mold conditions. All the libraries GAO visited in Puerto Rico, for example, had damage from multiple natural disasters, including Hurricanes Maria in 2017 and Fiona in 2022, and have experienced years-long delays with inspections and claims from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The second most commonly cited need was for repairs or upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems—a necessity for both patrons’ comfort and the maintenance of materials.

Accessibility is another consideration. Libraries built prior to 1994, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provisions took effect, often have entrances that can’t be accessed by wheelchair users or those with restricted mobility. Reduced stack height is another needed accessibility modification. An estimated 43 percent of libraries, nearly 7,000 buildings, have at least one barrier; this is more common in rural and small libraries.

The challenges identified weren’t unique to any one type of public library or region, but were distributed among libraries of different sizes, jurisdictions, and funding arrangements across the country, GAO Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues David Marroni told LJ. Problems are compounded, he noted, by the lack of dedicated facilities managers within systems—staff whose job it is to catalog and collect information on the state of their library’s infrastructure—leaving many libraries unsure of where structural deficiencies lie. Although some libraries maintain databases of building systems and their life cycles, allowing them to anticipate and budget for future repairs, there is no national requirement for data collection and reporting on facility conditions. Often, the onus is on libraries and staff to self-report to state agencies.

“There is a real paucity of information about the state of individual libraries,” Marroni said. “Because if you don’t know what you need to prioritize, how much money you need, what the scale of the problem is in your community or your state, that’s a challenge, too.”

The primary aim of the report, Marroni noted, was for Congress to use it when thinking about policy that touches the library landscape. “Our goal was to provide them the information they need as they consider the authorization of IMLS, as they consider, in general, their approach to providing any support to the nation’s libraries,” he said. “The secondary goal—and this is the goal of any of our products—is to provide information to the American people on the status of the various issues that the federal government touches on…so that they can then engage with Congress as needed based on their own views.”

ALA President Sam Helmick agreed. “All of our communities, regardless of size or location, deserve to have a great public library, and I know that if our representatives fully honored that ideal, then our local public library buildings wouldn't need to fall short of our community needs,” they told LJ. Reports such as this one can give the public the tools it needs to speak up, Helmick added. “You deserve a great community library, you are articulating your values, and I hope that you’ll continue as Americans to show up for libraries by telling the representatives about your library’s value. Now it’s time for them to answer that call.”