Libraries change lives. They should be protected at all costs

[T_i_B]

Excellent article. And I do worry about the current trend for volunteer run libraries offering less services to the public.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/05/why-libraries-are-about-so-much-more-than-books?CMP=share_btn_tw

Two things really annoyed me recently: 1) Banksy paid for Bristol libraries facing closure to be kept open and 2) some economics professor wrote a piece for Forbes magazine about how Amazon should replace libraries with physical stores.

To clarify: I’m not annoyed at Banksy. It’s incredibly generous of the artist to continue to support local projects, initiatives and institutions in his home city despite being one of the most famous artists in the world. I really don’t think it’s Banksy’s responsibility, though. Banksy should not be putting his hand in his pocket to save libraries. No way.

Because of government cuts to local funding, councils are under immense pressure to save on spending. And there are core services that they need to provide. However, I believe that a library is a core service and should be protected at all costs. Libraries change lives. They are more than just big rooms with stacks of dusty books and a librarian shushing people. Libraries provide so much to communities, from information and support, to free access to the internet, to entire worlds and universes contained in said dusty books. They are communal spaces and offer a basic level of support, community and knowledge that we should all have access to. And I would find it grotesque if libraries were replaced with a physical Amazon store. (Aside: maybe if Amazon paid fair taxes, libraries would be better funded and not at threat of closure.)

Whether you use your library or not, the very fact it is there sends a message out to our communities. It says, this belongs to you. It is yours. Come in. Use it. Read. Apply for jobs. Have a cup of tea in one of the many support groups. Steal a nap at the back. This is your space.

[LeftishBrit]

1. k&r

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Libraries are undergoing change

In the recession, they were crowded, and people used them for job hunt, strategy, entertainment of reading, writing, viewing.

Now not very crowded in my community, at least weekdays. They've morphed into places for young people, particularly kids, but also some teens spend more time there after school, or if there's a day off from school.

My library has fewer books. The county library system has fewer books. They are not repositories anymore. Old titles are gone in a decade or two. Old histories, biographies are removed from the system. Can't even find them countywide, and no digital copies. So if you want a scholarly book, you have to buy one. Standard books from the 1900s, books that were in every library from important literary giants in their field may not be there. But every copy of right wing media is on full display. From that standpoint, I think libraries have too much power in the publishing field. If it's recommended from some library association, it gets bought by just about every library. I don't know why we get so many conservative books, and only a few libraries have an occasional liberal author.

Lending is going digital. Many standard books available online for download. Old classics (Kenneth Davis' FDR comes to mind) not seen anywhere. I suppose libraries cater to what the public will read. But they push garbage on us too.

Libraries are a place for events - kids, culture, meetings. Physical books are a diminishing part of their existence, but they are picking up in other areas. They can read most media formats. 8mm movies and 1.2 floppies excluded. Some have movie nights.

[T_i_B]

5. With the UK government still looking to trim the budget....

...councils are starting to target library services for cuts at present. This means less library internet access (terrible news for anyone like the unemployed) and also a growing trend towards volunteer run libraries which offer less service than professionally run libraries.

The result of this is that we are starting to see a marked decline in use of libraries in areas affected by these cuts. Which is not good at all. Too many people take library services for granted.

[SunSeeker]

3. K & R

[zentrum]

4. They want to profitize

...everything. Private prisons, private post office, private education, private state parks.

It's profit motive on steroids.