The DC public library system falls way short of ‘Abundance’
Book clubs nationwide have been talking for months about whether you are “Abundance-pilled,” a reference to the recent book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson that has made it into the lexicon of many public policy nerds.
And public policy nerds happen to be everywhere in the District of Columbia. That is why the waitlist to borrow this book at the D.C. Public Library is more than 300 people long for a hard copy, over 500-long for an eBook and more than 800-long for an audiobook.
How many copies does the D.C. library system have of this New York Times-bestseller, which was published in March? Well, from March to July, the total was just one. One hard copy, zero eBook registrations and zero audio books.
Only in August did the D.C. public library finally expand its catalogue to 51 copies, which is still little relief for the hundreds who have been waiting months. Think of the debates we missed out on, the replies we never sent. The online discourse was impoverished by the absence of witty, wonky D.C.-based keyboard warriors.
Other library systems nearby have copies of “Abundance.” The Arlington Public Library has had 47 copies all along. Fairfax County has 45 and Montgomery County has 18 hardcover copies, 63 eBook registrations and 75 audiobooks. So these books have been lining the shelves of our suburban friends’ and families’ local libraries. Just not ours.
“Abundance” isn’t the only new nonfiction title of interest to D.C. readers that is sparsely filling our shelves. Jake Tapper’s “Original Sin” has just two hard copies that more than 50 library patrons are waiting to read. Jacinda Ardern’s “A Different Kind of Power” has two hard copies and more than 70 on the waitlist. John Green’s “Everything Is Tuberculosis” has seven copies for a nearly 200-person-long waitlist.
Not every recent release is getting this treatment. “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Suzanne Collins’s highly anticipated “Hunger Games” prequel, which was published the same day as “Abundance,” has 100 copies at the D.C. library system.
The argument of “Abundance” is that an overly regulatory environment, often championed by well-intentioned liberals, has halted or slowed progress on large and ambitious projects. Or so I have been told. I wouldn’t know. I'm waiting in line to read it with more than 1,500 other D.C. library patrons.
Could it be that one of the places we need to modernize by removing regulations is our public library? I reached out to the director of new title procurement at the D.C. library, asking about the policies regarding the acquisition of new copies, but I did not receive a response.
As D.C. has an overly complex regulatory system in other areas — which is not entirely the District’s fault, given its status as a federal district — it is not out of the question that the city should review its internal policies to see where they could be streamlined.
It must be noted that the current financial constraints on the District are quite severe. The House of Representatives has effectively stolen $1 billion from the District of taxes already paid by residents. This has led to fewer police officers, cuts to school programs and other fiscal limits. Mayor Muriel Bowser has been tirelessly advocating for the restoration of these funds and should be commended for her efforts.
Perhaps the public library has put large-scale purchase orders of new books on hold until the District is paid what it is due. If that is the case, I sincerely request that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pass the District of Columbia Local Funds Act of 2025. The Senate passed it back in March, and it just is waiting for the Speaker to bring it to the floor. These are taxes already paid by over 700,000 residents of the district, and we should be free to spend that money in a way we deem necessary — and yes, that includes new titles for the public library.
Whether the backlog of new titles is due to internal library policies or to the withholding of funds by the federal government, something must change. It may feel like a small thing to have to wait over six months to check out a new book, but it is clearly possible, since the rest of the region can adequately procure popular books.
If it is the latter, it is time to rethink the policies between D.C. and federal government on matters of public libraries and services. If the former, it is time to take inspiration from our neighboring library districts and update our internal policies.
Libraries have served as the centers of learning and cutting-edge information for centuries, and the capital of the richest nation to ever exist should be a shining example of this long tradition. I believe the D.C. library should have an abundance of books, across topics, with reasonable waitlists.
Chase Lanfer is a D.C.-area international tax lawyer, Texas Longhorn football fan and avid library enthusiast.