There is an article, In Praise of Libraries (The Rotarian Magazine, March 2015), that is getting a lot of buzz in library circles. Even if you aren’t in the library world, you should read it. It’s a hymn of praise, as you can see by its opening paragraphs:
The public library is the only civic institution in my community that is uncompromisingly successful. Not everyone in my small town is crazy about the police force, and not everyone is all that pleased with the public schools. No one ever seems terribly happy with the planning board, the architectural review board, the board of trustees. Some people think the volunteer firemen get too much money for new equipment, though no one ever dares say it out loud.
The public library is different. The public library is the community’s kindly grandmother: helpful, patient, understanding. Nobody in my town ever stands up and says he dislikes the public library. Nobody in your town does, either. Grumpy old librarians who keep shushing you, sure. But not the library itself.
There are some great points like: the library is taken for granted, the library is free (“come one, come all”), the library makes society better, the library is not judgmental. . . and on and on. As I said, the article is getting a lot of praise and appreciation. The following Twitter post is just one example:
And I agree. It’s a fantastic article. But, I also think talk is cheap. From my experience there are lots of people who think the library is great. There are even lots of public officials who think libraries are great. But they don’t want to pay for them, or have their constituents pay for them, or fund them properly in their budgets. So we need to go one step further. We need to speak out, to our local officials about how great libraries are, AND how we need them to appropriate sufficient funding. Libraries are great and important things for society, for communities, and the folks who live in those communities. But good libraries don’t come cheap. Praise alone is not enough.
Hey, the tweet is great! Super job. http://lilypupslife.wordpress.com/
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Totally agree – better to bu funded than to be loved
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Best to be both loved AND funded!!
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I grew up in a small town in the midwest, and the Library was the best place to go after school. Up two flights of stairs in an old building downtown, it was lots of dark wood and tall windows. It was the main place to feed your hunger for books and knowledge–and where you could do homework without being interrupted…
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That sounds like the library in my home town. I’m glad you have happy memories too.
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My second home as a kid; it was so much easier doing homework in the quiet there…
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A while ago I was asked to run a workshop on asset-based community development for libraries. Even though I (and my daughters) are avid users of the library, I must admit I hadn’t thought much about their role in community development. As I looked into it more, I became even more of a fan of libraries. You can read more – Libraries and community engagement
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Thanks, Graeme, that’s a great article. You might want to look at things in this blog under the category “Libraries in Community.” One day soon, I’ll be citing your article in a post on this blog.
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Thanks. I had a quick look at that category and plan to come back to have a more detailed look.
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Great article and way of looking at the library in comparison to other civic institutions. As a child the library was my own private world. I am so happy to be sharing that with my children now.
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In our little community of 3,000 folks high up in the mountains at 6,000 ft. Our library is an anchor. I agree that most of our other institutions are embattled but the library is always there. Books keep us grounded. Our young people come for the computer access and tutoring but leave with a book….
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Sadly, libraries are embattled too. 😦 I’m glad you support yours.
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