Unifies a community
A library is one of the last places anyone can walk into for free. Toddlers at story time, teens doing homework, job seekers and retirees share the same room — and become neighbors.
A movement for shelves, not shells
Libraries
Not War.
Every community deserves a place to read, learn and gather. We believe the money, energy and courage spent on war would do far more good building libraries.
Our purpose
A library is the most powerful peace project a town can build.
Libraries Not War is an information campaign encouraging communities and governments to invest in public libraries instead of armed conflict. Here’s what a library gives back.
Builds literacy
Free books, early-reading programs and adult literacy classes give every resident, whatever their income, the foundation for school, work and civic life.
Teaches critical social skills
Book clubs, makerspaces, debates and volunteer programs teach cooperation, empathy and how to disagree respectfully — the opposite of the habits war requires.
Costs far less than war
A brand-new community library costs a few tens of millions of dollars, once. Modern wars cost billions every month, and the bill keeps coming for generations.
Do the math
One fighter jet could pay for two brand-new community libraries.
A single F-35A fighter costs roughly $80 million. The 37,000 sq ft library planned in Dripping Springs, Texas — with a children’s floor, makerspace and amphitheater — is projected at about $35 million. A library keeps paying dividends for a century; a weapon only depreciates.
~$80M
one F-35A fighter jet
~$35M
a 37,000 sq ft library for 12,000+ card holders
The true cost of war
War takes everything a library gives.
Beyond the price tag, war exacts a human toll that no budget line can capture.
Innocent lives lost
Civilians — children, parents, grandparents — make up a large share of the dead and wounded in modern conflicts.
Families driven from home
More than 100 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced by war, persecution and violence, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Schools and libraries destroyed
War burns the very institutions that hold communities together, erasing records, history and a generation’s education.
Wounds that last generations
Trauma, disability, poverty and distrust outlive the fighting by decades, for soldiers and civilians alike.
Money that never builds anything
Every dollar spent on destruction is a dollar not spent on books, teachers, clinics, parks or roads.
Division instead of dialogue
War teaches us to see neighbors as enemies. Libraries teach us to listen, learn and understand.
“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.”
— Vera Nazarian
Libraries rising
Communities choosing books over bombs.
These towns have recently built, celebrated or are now planning libraries that will serve their neighbors for generations.
20 years in its new homeIncline Village, Nevada
Incline Village Library
Tucked among the pines on Lake Tahoe’s north shore, the Incline Village branch of the Washoe County Library System began in 1966 as Nevada’s first school–public library partnership. Its 10,600 sq ft building, opened in 2005 and honored by the American Library Association for its interior design, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 with a community block party.
- Two-sided fireplace, reading nooks and outdoor patios
- Children’s library with a traditional Washoe winter house built by artist Ben Rupert
- 3D printing, public computers, free Wi-Fi and a community meeting room
Illustration for Libraries Not War. See the library’s website for current photos.
New library in the worksDripping Springs, Texas
Dripping Springs Community Library
Library card holders in Dripping Springs have grown from about 900 to more than 12,000, and the 9,500 sq ft building can no longer keep up. The independent library district is raising funds through its “Beyond Books, Building Community” campaign for a new two-story, 37,000 sq ft library next to its current site, and launched a “Library on Wheels” in 2026 to serve residents in the meantime.
- An entire floor dedicated to children, plus a makerspace
- Event lawn, amphitheater, story walk and children’s play area
- A community art piece of hundreds of glass butterflies above the stairs
Illustration for Libraries Not War. See the library’s website for current photos.
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