When I first moved to Philadelphia 22 years ago, I spent about two years working at the Borders Books at Germantown and Bethlehem Pike, currently the site of Children of America day care.

Borders was a giant retailer then. Its prime retail displays could influence what books were best sellers (I’m pretty sure Charles Frazier’s “Cold Mountain” was a best seller for my entire Borders tenure). At its peak in the late 90s, it maintained 1,200 stores and employed more than 30,000 people.

At that time, people were certain that Borders, and its counterpart and competitor Barnes and Noble, with their spacious stores, Starbucks-fueled cafes and massive selections, were not only going to put all of the small, neighborhood bookshops out of business, but would make libraries obsolete.

Well, we know how this story ends. The flagship Borders in Ann Arbor, Michigan, closed for good in 2011, its core business hustled right out from under it by Amazon books and the advent of e-readers. Barnes and Noble is still around, but it’s holding on by a thread, with much of its floor space turned over to toys, knickknacks and other impulse buys.

While libraries have continued to struggle with funding and staffing, they don’t show any clear signs of following Borders into extinction. As detailed in this week’s front-page story by Sarah Allessandrini, neighboring libraries have even been rebuilt and renovated as they continue to attract loyal users back.

But in 2018, when the future of printed books and magazines is an open question, how can public investment in libraries continue to be justified? It’s clear that libraries are simply better at providing a lot of services to the public than the big, corporate book shops. They’re now not only places where local organizations and clubs can hold meetings, offer programs like lectures and book talks, but are also providing important computer services and serving as important points of public access for dissemination of everything from tax forms to lawn debris bags.

Many libraries also have the corner on a market that’s difficult to disrupt. While the future of printed periodicals and books might be in jeopardy, the same cannot be said for children’s books, which are perfect for lending libraries. Children enjoy books, and there’s no better way to keep them supplied with new books than regular trips to the library.

Libraries continue to be popular with the public. In a 2016 PEW study of public opinion on libraries, 77% said public libraries provide them with the resources they need,” and 66% said the closing of their local public library “would have a major impact on their community.” As libraries continue to work on how to adapt to the new needs of the public, it’s important to support them.

So get a library card, if you don’t already have one. And visit your library. We wouldn’t want them to go the way of Borders Books.

Pete Mazzaccaro