 |
| Louie Chin |
Libraries | Society | Public service
This crucial institution is being neglected just when we need it the most.
By Eric Klinenberg
Mr. Klinenberg is a sociologist.
Is the public library obsolete?
A
lot of powerful forces in society seem to think so. In recent years,
declines in the circulation of bound books in some parts of the country
have led prominent critics to argue that libraries are no longer serving
their historical function. Countless elected officials insist that in
the 21st century — when so many books are digitized, so much public
culture exists online and so often people interact virtually — libraries
no longer need the support they once commanded.
Libraries are already starved for resources. In some cities, even affluent ones like Atlanta,
entire branches are being shut down. In San Jose, Calif., just down the
road from Facebook, Google and Apple, the public library budget is so
tight that users with overdue fees above $20 aren’t allowed to borrow
books or use computers.
But the
problem that libraries face today isn’t irrelevance. Indeed, in New York
and many other cities, library circulation, program attendance and
average hours spent visiting are up. The real problem that libraries
face is that so many people are using them, and for such a wide variety
of purposes, that library systems and their employees are overwhelmed.
According to a 2016 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, about
half of all Americans ages 16 and over used a public library in the past
year, and two-thirds say that closing their local branch would have a
“major impact on their community.”
Libraries
are being disparaged and neglected at precisely the moment when they
are most valued and necessary. Why the disconnect? In part it’s because
the founding principle of the public library — that all people deserve
free, open access to our shared culture and heritage — is out of sync
with the market logic that dominates our world. But it’s also because so
few influential people understand the expansive role that libraries
play in modern communities. Read more...
