I’m thinking of a place where you can go for free computer classes that can help you learn basic computer programs. This same place will have free workshops on everything from Chinese Medicine to the culinary arts to knitting blankets. You’ll also be able to pick up the latest book by Charlaine Harris for free, then log on to check your email (for free) before getting your pressing question about the national health care plan answered. Meanwhile, your 9-year-old son is getting (free) help with his homework assignment for Math before choosing a copy of “Shrek 3” to take home and watch. A coffee for you and an orange juice for him wrap up your visit to this magical place where all this happens on a regular basis.
What place could I possibly be talking about? The public library.
Our society has turned into one where money is no longer the only currency: information is the new fad. And libraries, information brokers since the dawn of time (not literally, but you know what I mean), are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this. And the kicker is that they provide their services for free. An article I read mentioned that if the idea of libraries had been proposed now, there would be no way that they would have been created. I have to agree; there would not be nearly enough funding to create enough public libraries across the nation, and people would likely begrudge the thought of any more money being squeezed out of what little they have by the government. In a time when it seems that nothing is free anymore and people’s ability to afford more than the bare minimum is almost non-existent (and in some cases it is), we should be valuing the benefit of the public library.
Lucky for us, it seems that a significant percentage of the population does. ALA’s 2011 The State of American Libraries Report has shown that visits to the library and the utilization of library services continue to steadily increase. People know and appreciate what the library can provide for them. After all, the library is the only free place you can go that connects people with the information they need and helps to bridge the Digital Divide (a claim Google would not be able to make).
If you’re not convinced that the library is still valuable with all of the digital and Internet resources you now have at your fingertips, I encourage you to take a look at this article. I think that the first point is the most important: “Libraries serve the disenfranchised.” Right now, there are a lot of have-nots in the country. People can’t afford the hardware/software/Internet connection/Wi-Fi/etc (the Digital Divide issue I just mentioned) that is steadily becoming the norm for looking up government forms (ex. unemployment benefit forms), searching and applying for jobs (many if not most companies only post open positions online), and staying connected with family and friends (social networking). So what happens to those that don’t have a computer but still want to be able to do these things? They go to their local library.
Sony, Google and Apple are all under fire for various reasons regarding their customer’s privacy. Sony’s PS3 Network was hacked, and millions of users’ information was obtained in the attack. Google and Apple are currently dealing with lawsuits that allege their violation of users’ privacy in the type and amount of information that their smart phones have been secretly collecting. I take comfort that I will never have this problem in the library: “Libraries are interested in your privacy.” The librarian is no stranger to defending her patrons’ privacy, and the ALA also offers guidelines on confidentiality and privacy in the library.
The public library—and what it has to offer—is a role model for society.
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