Presidents of both parties defended libraries as allies of democracy for a century – until. . .

In the 1920s, Republican Calvin Coolidge said that public libraries were “within the reach of almost everyone” and contained “the best books and authorities on any subject.” By using these institutions, he said, citizens could evaluate “current proposals for political improvement.” Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt took up that theme as the U.S. edged toward World War II. Above: President-elect Roosevelt stands with a Queens book bus in 1932.