America is About to Lose One of Its Best Public Resource: Public Libraries

[llmart]

55. You are so wrong.....

I was in my library just this morning and I could barely get in the front door. The place was bustling! However, this is in a community that is for the most part educated, diverse, middle class, and which supports their library and any millage that comes up every single time! Oh, and it's mostly a liberal community. I was in public library administration for several years and I can't begin to tell you how much libraries have changed. You clearly haven't been in a good one. I wish people who think like you could see what a great library of today is really about.

In 2008 when the economy was in free fall, our library was so incredibly busy. Many people couldn't afford internet at home. Many who were laid off were being told by their former employer that they should apply for unemployment benefits online and a lot of these people had never done anything like that online in their lives, so staff, including me helped people with applying online.

Our library programs always have a waiting list. The children's programs are amazing.

I don't know what library you went in that still looks like the 1950's, but maybe it's in a poor, backwoods community.

Public libraries are the best example I know of a community coming together to share a resource and share the expense of that resource, where the wealthier pay so that those less wealthy than they are can have access to things they may not be able to afford.

As you can tell, I am passionate about public libraries! And I might add that if there's something you would like your library to have or offer, do not be afraid to let library administration know that.