Every December, Universal Human Rights Month invites us to reflect on the values that strengthen communities like respect, dignity, equity, and the courage to speak up against injustice. Rights aren't only written on paper, they are practiced every day in places that welcome everyone. Public Libraries are one of those places. They protect dignity, equal access, freedom of expression, and the tools people need to participate fully in community life. Read on to discover how Timberland Regional Library (TRL) puts those rights into action with concrete services available in communities across its five-county system.
The Freedom to Read and Right to Access
Access to information is a human-rights cornerstone: without it people can’t make informed decisions, exercise civic freedoms, or pursue opportunity. Both physical and digital collections at TRL deliberately include information from a broad spectrum of viewpoints, including those considered controversial or divisive. As a library, TRL is committed to fighting censorship of information or ideas as well as supporting caregivers in selecting appropriate materials for the children in their own care. The library's job isn't to decide what is right or wrong, but rather to provide resources patrons can use to determine the accuracy of the information they find and how to incorporate it into their own lives.
Along with the promise to make available a variety of materials and information, TRL also ensures that accessing that material and information is as barrier-free as possible. Expanded Access Hours make library buildings available outside of normal staffed hours so more patrons can make use of the library when convenient for them. TRL provides free public computers, Wi-Fi, and a broad suite of digital resources (eBooks, audiobooks, research databases) so anyone can connect, learn, and communicate, regardless of income or home internet access. These services reduce the “digital divide” and make online information, job applications, education, and government services reachable for everyone.
TRL also realizes that not everyone can get to a library building. TRL’s Anywhere Library brings materials and staff directly into neighborhoods and community sites, expanding access for people with transportation, mobility, or time barriers. Mobile services provided include delivering previously requested materials and providing a browsing collection at each stop. New users may register for library cards and immediately check out materials the same day. Staff are on hand to provide assistance using online resources through devices and mobile hotspots to allow for Internet access. There's even an online suggestion form for users to request visits or suggest new stops. TRL continuously evaluates barriers to access and looks for solutions to eliminate them, ensuring the right to access of information is upheld for all community members regardless of their circumstances.
The Right to Dignity and Economic Justice
TRL explicitly frames accessibility and digital equity as core commitments: they provide resources for patrons with disabilities, policies and services to ensure equitable access, and programs aimed at closing technology gaps, supporting the principle that services should be available to everyone regardless of ability, background, or income. TRL removed overdue fines for all materials in 2020 to eliminate financial barriers for users, especially children and low-income families. TRL only charges replacement charges for lost materials, and even those fees are waived for most children's materials. TRL’s Library of Things lets people borrow tools, outdoor gear, and family-friendly items. Loaning useful, sometimes expensive items helps people try new skills, take part in outdoor and cultural life, and reduce financial burden, all of which advance economic and cultural rights by broadening who can participate.
Economic security and the ability to claim benefits are fundamental to dignity and economic justice. TRL hosts career and job-search resources, workshops, and online self-paced classes to help patrons with resumes and job training. Internet computers provide support for the filing of unemployment benefits, social security benefits, and health benefits, with trained staff to provide quick on the spot assistance or to schedule longer training sessions going forward. Partnerships with organizations like Pacific Mountain Workforce Development and local veteran services agencies support the military and their families in receiving the benefits they are owed and support in the transition to civilian life. The library also hosts tax assistance programs like AARP Tax-Aide so households, especially those of low-income, can access financial relief and file correctly.
The Right to Civic Engagement and Free Expression
Access to legal information and the ability to find public records supports people’s right to justice and fair treatment. TRL highlights free legal resources and helps make basic legal information more approachable through access to free legal forms and online resources for those trying to understand their rights or navigate official systems. TRL facilitates the right to vote, one of the most fundamental expressions of a free society, by partnering with agencies like the auditor's offices in our five counties to provide voter assistance and voting centers where trained volunteers and library staff can guide voters through the process of same-day registration or confirming the voter's address and legislative district.
Libraries are one of the few public institutions that explicitly guarantee space for community discussion and assembly. TRL provides meeting and study rooms that community groups can reserve free of charge, thus creating space for community organizing, education, cultural events, and democratic conversation. This physical openness supports freedom of assembly and expression for groups that might not otherwise have affordable venues.
Public Libraries Strengthen Rights
As we celebrate Human Rights Month, it’s worth remembering that freedom, dignity, and fairness are strengthened not only in moments of protest or legislation but in the quiet, consistent work of institutions that serve everyone. Public libraries are among the most democratic spaces we have. They help people speak, learn, connect, and thrive. They protect the vulnerable, uplift silenced voices, and remind us that human rights begin with how we treat one another. In supporting libraries, we support human rights--one open door, one welcoming smile, and one curious patron at a time.
How you can celebrate or support this work
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Visit your local TRL branch or the Anywhere Library to see services in action.
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Encourage friends and neighbors to use free digital resources or ask about help with job searches and filing for benefits.
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Donate or volunteer with local Friends-of-the-library groups to raise funds for programming and other improvements.
