Libraries are essential public goods.
Like our public parks and museums, public libraries are free, non-commercial gathering places for everyone, regardless of income. If information is power, then libraries are the essence of democracy and freedom. In these times of economic difficulty, more people are using them than ever, to do more than merely check out books.
Yet our nation's public libraries appear to be under threat by a litany of cuts, forced upon them by state and local committees, cuts that often began before the recent economic downturn. In a survey conducted by the Library Journal, 93% of large libraries reported having laid off staff, cut their opening hours, or both. In several states, including Indiana and Michigan, library branches have permanently closed their doors.
In a new Huffington Post series called Libraries In Crisis, we'll be looking at how today's libraries are about more than books. We'll show how they can be a community resource where reliable information and guidance is provided, free of bias and commercial influence.
This occasional series will look at the economic reasons for the current situation, and its consequences throughout the country. It will showcase models for library evolution, and hear from prominent voices about what makes a viable and vital library system.
As digital media increase in popularity, this is the moment for a national conversation about what a library is, and what it can be, beyond books on shelves; of what we expect from our public services, and how we would like to see our tax revenue spent. When local libraries are threatened, people are prepared to stand up and fight for them, as recently seen in Chicago and Detroit.
In June 2010, New York librarians staged protests against proposed budget cuts totaling $37 million. They called their campaign "We will not be shushed."
The time has come for libraries to speak up.
Read the first piece in our series, "The Death Of The Public Library?"
Molly Raphael: Why Libraries Matter
Denise Davis, Director, Cecil County Public LIbrary in Maryland
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and the spending cuts that impact us.
Celeste Watman, Director
Levittown Public Library (NY)
You are F&F!
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/ensure-all-school-libraries-are-properly-staffed-open-and-available-children-every-day/yBwvp96v
When libraries overemphasize computer technology while allowing book collections and support for reading and readers to languish, they risk evolving into “wired” anemic shells. Information is flat; it fits well on a screen. The riches of context and meaning reside between the covers of the technology called books.
It's easy for politicians to close libraries when those institutions give up what makes them unique and valuable. Pols and CEOs call what's left redundancy.
Libraries are valuable, but they tend to be valued only by the most educated citizens. I chose to live in an area that values education and learning. It costs a bit more, but good libraries and good schools make a community more liveable and valuable.
http://textbooksandtofu.blogspot.com/
It was a public librarian at my local library who told me about a graduate program in Library Science at St. John's University. She even encouraged me to apply and I did. After two years of coursework, I graduated in May with my MLS. That one conversation with a knowledgeable and helpful professional librarian changed the course of my life in a profound way.
If we are to have an informed citizenry who is engaged in their pursuit of lifelong learning we absolutely must support our local libraries. We all know the value libraries add to our
communities. And I think it's time that we all step up in order to protect them. Volunteering is a great place to start, and maybe public libraries can collaborate to set up a website similar to www.donorschoose.org to solicit needed funds, supplies and donations of books.
Libraries are critical to our collective, intellectual well-being! Libraries must survive and even flourish!
Again, thank you so much for this wonderful series ... I hope it prods us into action!
Denise L. Mc Iver, (proud LIS graduate!)
TC Galltin
Author of Zaire's Place
Before the industrial age, libraries were often 'subscription' libraries - people paid a fee to have access to books because a lot of literate people could not afford them. University libraries and then public and school libraries became the place where you did research. But now books are pretty affordable and technology makes it easier to do research from home.
What can libraries do? Basically i think that where there are lots of people doing what you do (there are four libraries within a 15 minute drive of me) you have to figure out what you can do that is different. Imho not enough libraries have interesting adult programs and partner with local talent. I went to one program once where they were going to pay the author to come and the author (a pretty well known writer) donated the fee back to the library.
It seems like libraries think opposite of the government - the govt thinks about how to raise money instead of cutting budgets. Libraries think about cutting budgets instead of how to raise money. I think they need to switch that around.
In my experience, when people say we need to "ask the hard questions," what they really mean is, "this isn't valuable to me, so what's the big deal if we cut it." And since city councils and state legislatures are made up of people who already have what libraries offer, they don't want to pay the taxes that make it accessible to everyone else.
It's like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hose.
That's what librarians are for. To help you filter through so you get a trickle and not a deluge.
Libraries don't make the decision on whether to cut budgets or raise money. That decision comes from the city budget.
Libraries fight censorship. Librarians are the only ones standing between you and the FBI (Patriot Act.) Libraries represent freedom. They are being attacked in conjunction with the attempts to abolish net neutrality in order to control the information that people have access to.
We should all be afraid of the loss of our libraries and we all should be fighting to keep each and every one.
Put a librarian in every school. Sign the petition. Pass it on for others to sign.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/ensure-all-school-libraries-are-properly-staffed-open-and-available-children-every-day/yBwvp96v