Over the last eighteen years, photographer Robert Dawson has crisscrossed the country documenting hundreds of these endangered institutions. The Public Library presents a wide selection of Dawson's photographs— from the majestic reading room at the New York Public Library to Allensworth, California's one-room Tulare County Free Library built by former slaves. Accompanying Dawson's revealing photographs are essays, letters, and poetry by some of America's most celebrated writers.

Includes essays, letters, and poetry by a collection of American writers and librarians.

Foreward / Bill Moyers -- Introduction / Robert Dawson -- The American Public Library : The library spirit / Stuart A.P. Murray -- Economics : A country without libraries / Charles Simic ; All hail the public library / David Morris -- Civic memory and identity : What the library means to me / Amy Tan ; Letters to the children of Troy, New York / Isaac Asimov, Dr. Seuss, and E.B. White -- How Mr. Dewey decimal saved my life / Barbara Kingsolver -- Urban and rural libraries : The northeast Nevada regional bookmobile / Kelvin K. Selders ; Practicing Seva / Dorothy Lazard ; Spreading enlightenment / Luis Herrera -- Art and architecture -- Evolving libraries : Enriched by what we share / Chip Ward -- Literature and learning : Library days / Philip Levine ; Steinbeck country / Anne Lamott ; Maps and stats / Walker Dawson -- Afterword / Ann Patchett.