Public Libraries Still Matter

Daniel Weinfeld

Picture a crowded library. Men, women, and children reading, writing, and learning in a respectful and quiet public environment. Today, chances are nearly everyone in the library is using a computer. Laptop owners are taking advantage of WIFI availability, and those without personal computers and internet access at home are using those library resources for business, research, or plain enjoyment. Meanwhile, the surrounding stacks of books, periodicals, and other print materials remain largely untouched as their digital counterparts render them increasingly obsolete. This shift towards online and digitally accessible materials has sparked a discussion with many questioning the importance of printed books and libraries. While this argument has its merits, these changes are being misinterpreted in a negative light instead of appreciated for what it is: great progress in public access to information and learning. Libraries are as important today as they have ever been because of the imperative services they offer to the public and the freedom of information and expression they represent.

Public libraries have taken on new roles in the community as a result of new technology and the need for public access to online resources for academic purposes, job searches, healthcare coverage and other government benefits, and other financial services. Without access to all of this information, people in urban areas, particularly of lower socioeconomic status, can be at a significant disadvantage in education, work, and financial security. According to a piece by Susan Crawford for the New York Times, 92% of African Americans and 86% of Latinos surveyed felt that free access to computers and the internet at public libraries is “very important”. Unfortunately, the same article reported that 87% of urban libraries do not have enough computers, and only 57% of the same libraries offer high-speed internet. While those conditions could certainly be improved, it is still important to recognize the significance of these services that public libraries are providing for communities of all shapes and sizes.

Another important point in this discussion is the freedom and democratic principles present in the public library system. While this may seem like a lofty argument, it is based in the very principles upon which our nation was founded. Freedom of information and expression are core values of the American people, and libraries today, as they always have, provide the public with an outlet for both. The privilege to choose what one reads and writes may be one often taken for granted in our society, but it is not a luxury that all people enjoy. This freedom lives and breathes in libraries; in the tales of our history, the access to endless information online, and in the right to check out any book no matter how unpopular or controversial the ideas within it may be. Luis Herrera, city librarian of San Francisco, wrote that libraries are “a true American invention… a gathering place for civic and cultural engagement and a trusted place for conserving culture [2]. In a stand-up comedy special on television the other night, a comic delivered a bit, to raucous laughter and applause, about oppressive dictators throughout the twentieth century. He joked that all the armies and nuclear weapons in the world never scared those enemies of peace and American values, it was always books and ideas that they were afraid of. As cheesy as it may sound, I doubt that Hitler, Mussolini, or Chairman Mao would have approved of the information and freedom available at public libraries in the United States.

In sum, libraries still matter. The fact that print is no longer the only means of communicating and accessing information does not diminish the enduring importance of public libraries in our communities. Libraries still do, and will continue to offer the public resources that we want and need. Information and knowledge are synonymous with freedom and democracy. 100% of our public libraries now offer internet access [2]. That is something to be proud of. Americans of all ethnicities and backgrounds deserve free access to the information they need for themselves and for the betterment of our society. So long as they offer the opportunity for learning and enjoyment to those who may not be fortunate enough to have it otherwise, and even to those who are, public libraries will remain vital to our communities, and continue to represent the values of democracy and freedom which we all hold dear.

References

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/27/do-we-still-need-libraries/libraries-struggle-to-close-the-digital-divide?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry310%23%2Flibraries

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/27/do-we-still-need-libraries/libraries-are-more-relevant-than-ever?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%231&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry310%23%2Flibraries%2Fsince1851%2Fallresults%2F2%2F