Last Thursday was a “pinch me, am I in Alpena?” kind of night.

A packed crowd in the Stanley Beck auditorium at Alpena High School, filled with nearly 700 attendees enraptured by the words of author David Sedaris.

National Public Radio contributor, New Yorker writer, New York Times bestseller, American Academy of Arts and Letters member David Sedaris, who packed the house in Alpena, Michigan and downtown leading up to the event as people from all around the state traveled for the event.

One question that reverberated in the room was: How did he choose Alpena to visit when his followup stops were Los Angeles and Amsterdam?

The answer: The staff of the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library organized him to come here.

That is just the tip of the iceberg of the work that public libraries do. Of course, we know that libraries offer books to check out, storytimes, and author events.

But what about access to computers or wifi hotspots to check out? How about anime clubs, play groups for toddlers and caretakers, sewing lessons, or tutoring sessions? Not to mention access to historic photos and archives, 3D printers, drop-in tech help, live music events, and classic film screenings.

In the new Michigan ALICE Report (which studies asset-limited, income-constrained, employed families), their first point under “Steps for Actions” is: Do ALICE households have access to libraries?

In their research, they found that access to public libraries is a key step to lift families out of economic hardship, as they provide information on social services and job opportunities, access to computers and wi-fi, and a range of free programs. Additionally, they provide critical “safe and inclusive places for individuals and families.”

Despite all that, public libraries across the country have come under attack.

“Local libraries have become a major political and cultural battleground,” writes NPR, as groups across the country have mobilized to remove challenged books from the shelves, protest programming, and falsely accuse materials of being “indoctrination.” The irony is that, as those groups claim that those library materials they challenge “indoctrinate,” by limiting the range of materials available, they promote their own ideal indoctrination.

While those questions over censorship, access to materials, and what narratives are told (and we are allowed to tell) are nothing new, attempts to ban books and proposed legislation to limit intellectual freedom have escalated at an alarming rate in the last years.

Libraries serve everyone in their communities. They provide programming and materials that reflect everyone in the communities they serve.

“Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession and a basic right in our democratic society,” states the Michigan Library Association. “Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas without restriction.”

Our very own library here in Alpena was started in 1860 with a mere $25 provided by the community. In a time when there was no internet, no local bookstore, and a large amount of lumberjacks, to begin a library — committed to providing access to written materials, books, knowledge — seems a radical act.

There are plenty of books at the library I would read, and probably many that I won’t. But, to limit the scope of materials to what I think everyone should read goes against the nature of libraries themselves and our prized ideal of democratic freedom.

Communities are standing up for their libraries, and we can too: Check out materials, attend programs, and learn more about what libraries actually do.

How grateful I am that four ladies stood up and raised $25 to create a library in Alpena and that it continues to uphold the ideals of free speech, intellectual freedom, and the freedom to read, listen, debate, and create our own opinions, not limiting but expanding, not controlling but celebrating the wide range of voices and perspective that exist today.

Anne Gentry graduated from Brown University with a degree in comparative literature and has studied in Italy and South Australia. She is currently executive director of the Alpena Downtown Development Authority.