At Gerringong’s “Night at the Museum” celebration, distinguished journalist and author Caroline Baum delivered an evocative speech, sharing reflections on the importance of libraries, her personal journey as a lifelong reader, and the crucial role libraries play as spaces of knowledge, freedom, and trust.

Baum began with an ode to libraries, describing them as more than just shelves of books. “Libraries are a place to share secrets; they’re the guardians of our stories,” she said, capturing the emotional resonance libraries hold for many. Her journey with libraries began when she and her mother, a French immigrant, discovered the UK’s vibrant public library system. “In France, libraries were slow to stock new titles and limited in scope. But in England, the library opened up an entire world for her,” Baum recalled. For her mother, libraries became not just a place to borrow books but a source of social connection, education, and self-discovery.

Baum drew a poignant comparison between Indigenous storytelling traditions and modern libraries. “For First Nations people, country, nature, and family are their libraries,” she noted, adding that these sources of knowledge have withstood the test of time, offering resilience that digital or physical media sometimes cannot. This perspective echoed throughout her speech as Baum highlighted how libraries remain vital, democratic spaces—places not influenced by commercial interests, unlike most public spaces today.

One of the evening’s most powerful themes was Baum’s discussion of libraries as defenders of free speech. She described alarming censorship trends in the United States, where librarians in certain states could face jail time for stocking books deemed “obscene.” This alarming trend, she cautioned, has spread internationally, even reaching local libraries in Australia. “A library is a democratic space where you’re free to borrow a book or pass by it and choose something else,” she argued. Baum’s belief in the right of adults to choose what they read underscored her broader call to protect these spaces from censorship and to respect the diversity of thought they nurture.

Baum also honoured the resilience of librarians, both past and present, whom she affectionately dubbed “women with spine.” She recounted the courageous efforts of the American Library in Paris, which stayed open during WWII, even lending books to soldiers on the front. The library’s leaders, particularly Dorothy Reeder, kept it functioning against the odds. This theme of resilience continued with stories of Australian librarians who went beyond traditional roles to support social justice and freedom of speech, such as New York’s Radical Reference Collective, a group of librarians who offered protestors resources and legal information. Baum declared, “When it comes to standing on the barricades, librarians will be there to protect your rights.”

In a world where many institutions have lost the public’s trust, Baum emphasised that libraries remain beacons of reliability and openness. “We are constantly being told these days that data is more valuable than oil, but I would argue that trust is more valuable still,” she said. As Baum sees it, libraries, free and open to all, are one of the last public spaces that uphold trust as a core value, fostering communities by providing access to knowledge without commercial motives.

Her speech closed with a heartfelt tribute to librarians everywhere who have dedicated themselves to supporting their communities, protecting free speech, and offering spaces where people can learn, reflect, and grow. Baum’s powerful words left the audience with a renewed appreciation for libraries and the important social, cultural, and democratic values they represent.