Itās hard for me to even remember the last time I was in a library.
ā¦
[I]tās impossible to see a world where we keep libraries open simply to pretend they still serve a purpose for which they no longer serve.
The End Of The Library | TechCrunch
Well, white dude with Iām guessing considerable stock in Google, is the library just there for your needs or purposes?
Maybe you enjoyed your exercise in wordplay and making points already made. But what was your point again? Books make libraries so without books libraries arenāt libraries? Books look different so libraries canāt be libraries? Libraries look different so libraries canāt be libraries? You donāt need libraries for books so we donāt need libraries? Iām sorry, what?
Oh but wait, weāre pretending? Pretending what? Pretending thereās an access divide? Pretending thereās a digital divide? Pretending information illiteracy? Pretending folks lack job skills? Pretending college students need help with citation (BAHA HAHAHAHAHHA)? Did I get a Masters in Pretending? I MEAN I DO HAVE A GREAT IMAGINATION SO I PROBS GOT STRAIGHT AāS. OR PāS FOR PRETENDING. Iām sorry, what?
Also read this from BeerBrarianĀ - The End of āThe End of Librariesā
On Sunday, October 14th, yet another āEnd of Librariesā piece appeared. Per usual, it was written by a white male with no use for libraries, because every single time this trope appears, thatās part of the authorās demographic background. Beyond that, itās a crucial part of the authorās background. It is overwhelmingly affluent white men who argue that because they do not use something, it has no value for anyone. Libraries. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. Affordable health care. Itās the same argument.
āThe internet has replaced the importance of libraries as a repository for knowledge.ā Ah, yes, because you can trust everything you read on the internet.
Republicans play this game all the time. āI donāt need it, therefore itās not important and we should get rid of it.ā I can vividly remember the last time I was in a library. It was three weeks ago. I needed to do research and the material I needed was not online. Not every book is completely indexed in Google Books. And yes, an ebook is cheaper and faster than buying a physical copy of a book - but itās harder to skim through an ebook quickly, and the physical copy at the library costs you nothing (up front; tax dollars etc etc).
Like I said, I was at the library three weeks ago. It was around 4Ā pm on a Tuesday. And you know what? It was CROWDED. There was a packed sign-up sheet for the computers. Kids and parents abounded in the childrenās section. Older people and teenagers read at the tables in the main area. I had to wait in line to check out my book.
Before that, I had spent a lot of quality time on my libraryās website. I like to read both physical books and ebooks. My library does Kindle loans. OK, their website is a crappy government website, and it can be a little difficult to navigate, but itās doable. I read books I probablyĀ couldnātĀ orĀ wouldnātĀ pay full price for, AKA a big part of the purpose of aĀ library.
Libraries are not useless in the digital age, and even more importantly, they arenāt all empty. Just because YOU, PERSONALLY do not need or use somethingĀ doesnātĀ make it a charming Ā but impractical relic of a long-forgotten age.
I work in a library. Here are some of the reasons people come to the library:Ā
They want to collect food/garden/dog waste bags, all handed out free at libraries.Ā
They want to print/photocopy/scan.Ā
They want to access the internet, either on our computers or on their own, via the freeĀ wi-fi.Ā
Often this is because they have to apply for benefits, housing or jobs through the official system which is only available online. If they havenāt internet at home, the library offers free internet access. Where else does that? Sometimes they arenāt computer literate, so they appreciate an environment where they can ask for help.Ā
Maybe theyāll attend one of our free IT classes, ranging from the absolute basics to subjects such as Facebook, Office software, job hunting and how to use the CouncilāsĀ HomesearchĀ website. If they want something specific, such as how to use their own laptop or how to shop online, we can set up a one-to-one appointment, also for free.Ā
Our study spaces are very popular. Often they are all taken by ten past nine, after we open at nine. The number of people who have asked me how much it costs and looked surprised when I explained that using the library space is free and doesnāt require you to be a member surprisesĀ me.Ā
They want to read the newspapers or magazines the library buys (recently expanded with the launch of anĀ emagazineĀ serviceāI get to read SFX for free now, which is cool).Ā
Theyāre researching their family tree and want to take advantage of the libraryās subscription to Ancestry.Ā
They want to consult the planning documents for a local development or the register of local voters.Ā
They want to participate in a councilĀ consultation.Ā
They may have come to seek advice from an agency that operates a drop-in session at the library, such as the Citizensā Advice Bureau or the police.Ā
They may be attending an event, either run by the library (an author talk, a book group, babyĀ Rhymetime) or by an outside company who have rented the meeting rooms (theatre productions, ESOL classes, yoga). The library itself has regular events for babies, children, teenagers, adults, adults with mental health difficulties, adults learning Englishā¦Ā
We have regular class visits from the local schools. We read them a story and they all choose a book. Sometimes we go to them. It was actually really lovely to see how many children came into the library, talking excitedly about the Summer Reading Challenge we came and told them in Assembly.Ā
Children still look forĀ booksĀ when theyāre doing their homework, you know. Children who werenātĀ bornĀ at theĀ time of the MillenniumĀ and haveĀ grown upĀ with the internet.Ā
People actually still read books. Over thirty thousand items were issued in my library last month, and while we certainly have DVDs,Ā Blu-Rays, CDs, Talking Books, LanguageĀ Courses, all those added together canāt be more than a couple of thousand.Ā Ā
Free books. Iām sorry, I am never over how wondrous that is. Thousands of books, free to borrow and read. (And for those incapable of making the journey to the library, we have a Housebound service.)Ā
For all these reasons, we areĀ really busy.Ā Dozens of people join every day. Hundreds of people walk through the doors every day. Of course, there are people who donāt make use of libraries, who donāt need them. But really, someone who canāt remember the last time they went to the library can haveĀ no ideaĀ ofĀ the role they play.Ā
Libraries are not irrelevant. Libraries are not cultural artifacts. Libraries are living and changing, a resource and a social space, free at the point of access, engaging the community,Ā offering a wide range of services, accessible toĀ all. And what other institution can you say that about? Libraries areĀ important.Ā
People go to the library for books. People go to the library for e-books. People go to the library for technology. People go to the library for human contact. People go to the library for educational and free programming for their children. People go to the library for fun. So learn your shit before opening your mouth. Maybe a librarian can point you in the way of the basics. (via inautumn-inkashmir)
Libraries for me mean a free climate controlled space, knitting patterns, and recipes. Also mine rents out DVDs and has a good sized selection of graphic novels, which really helps us keep our entertainment budget manageable. I only wish I lived within walking distance of mine, the library may be free but the bus sure isnāt.
(via fimbulvetr-is-coming)
Yeeeep. Libraries are still needed. Iām fortunate to live within walking distance of mine. I utilize it weekly. Last time I was there was Friday. Iād go there more often if the librarians werenāt horrible people. As it is, I do use the hold service on books I want and they travel from the one in Roseburg to my local one and I pick up the books and am gone. I think the library is the one place I go to the most out of everywhere.
And like, what about the fucking reference section? A library is basically the ONLY place you will find some of those books, unless youāre asble to afford to shell out 1000 dollars for a text. And a lot of information is ONLY in those books, or ONLY in books that exist only in physcal format, and are expensive/out of print. But thereās no way anybody could possibly want that information. RIght?
Like, the Dewey Decimal system books are still in copyright, so you only get the base information for it online, and thew books themselves are expensive as FUCK. The library was the only place I could ever find them.
giddygirlgumption and I took our kids to the library literally 3 hours ago. And it was the second time weād been in three days. My daughters have been going to this library since they were 9 months old and newborn respectively. They attended storytime, theyāve poured through the childrenās section. In fact, thereās a little teddy bear that stands about 2Ā 1/2 feet tall that is post upright with welcoming arms when you get to the childrenās floor (the entire basement). My daughters have been attending this library since they were shorter than this bear and they now tower over it. In fact, the older girl volunteered there this summer.Ā
Weāve checked out music, dvds, books galore, done research and theyāve both learned the Scratch programming language in classes there. The library is part of our life, part of our normal. And weāre not alone when we go there.
Even if you think you can replace every single function of a library with something else, you shouldnāt. Why? Because a library is a place you can go, as an individual human being, and interact with other individual human beings, without feeling pressured to buy one single thing or spend one single cent (unless you have an overdue fine. Then you should really pay your fine). We have a rapidly dwindling number of those around.
