
Libraries Can Be More Than Just Books (2017) - Tomte
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/opinion/libraries-affordable-housing.html
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legostormtroopr
Library's _should_ be more than just books.

When the idea of the public library was first conceived, information was
published and disseminated using print media - books, newspapers, magazines
and the like. The role of the public library wasn't to give books to the
public, it was to give information to the public. But at the time the best way
to give access to this information was using a room full of books, they used
the same name for both a room full of books (a library) and a place where the
public could get information (a library).

Now days, since the source and publication of information has changed so
dramatically, the role of the public library must stay the same - to provide
free and easy access to information to the public. But how they perform that
role must change.

~~~
randyrand
not just information, but useful information. libraries have an important
curation role as well, in addition to storage. We cant let the internet
archive be the only modern day library.

~~~
chii
> not just information, but useful information.

all information is useful, as utility is dependent on the context for which
the information is needed.

~~~
wyattpeak
All information is useful, but too much can be worse than none at all. When
faced with too much choice, people tend to shut down a little. Curation is
important.

Edit: I've probably overstated my point. I'm not sure I believe too much is
worse than none at all, but it's certainly worse than a well-curated
selection.

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kiliantics
This is not what the article discusses but the title made me think it would:
why do we only have libraries for books? Why haven't we made libraries for
other useful resources? It makes sense from a perspective of evening the
playing field, as libraries are supposed to, but also from a sustainability
perspective too.

There are so many things that people will buy and only use once or twice a
year, if even that often. We could save ourselves a lot of productive effort
and resources by putting a few versions of these things in a library for
hundreds of people to make use of. Things like say power tools, or any fairly
specialised tool in general. I think you can take this idea really far, like
even having clothes libraries - you could have all new clothes all the time
and someone else could have new clothes when you're tired of the ones you've
been wearing.

~~~
andrewl
Stores that rent formal wear for weddings and similar events are clothing
libraries of a sort, although you pay the "library" directly instead of
through your taxes.

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pronoiac
Going from the title, I was going to talk about how I can get DVDs, CDs,
Blurays, and ebooks from my library; I'm a regular.

I wasn't expecting "housing," though nice that you mention it, why yes, I
would like to live in the same building as a library.

~~~
duxup
My local library has a play area for kids. It's great to go in the winter to
get out of the house, and the kids can read, play.

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elchief
I just joined a tool library in my neighborhood ($1/day for power tools), but
thought to myself, why doesn't my library have a room (and staff member) for
this?

~~~
exDM69
Where I'm from, libraries borrow power tools for free. It kinda makes sense
because they already have the infrastructure for storing, borrowing and
getting back lost items.

Other things you can borrow or use in local libraries: cargo bikes, moving
trolleys, sports equipment (tennis rackets, skis, skates...), board games
(never had a single missing item in any I've borrowed), 3d printers, laser
cutters, music rehearsal and recoding studios (with grand pianos), tents for
camping, tablets and computers, musical instruments, etc.

I think this is great because it makes these things available to the less
privileged and I don't mind paying the taxes to support this.

~~~
my_username_is_
This begs the question--where are you from? I think your experience is likely
fairly atypical.

~~~
exDM69
This wonderful service is provided by the Helsinki metropolitan area
libraries.

[http://www.helmet.fi/](http://www.helmet.fi/)

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fsloth
I wasn't expecting housing. That was a bit surprising.

As a related example, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries offer various
services including makers spaces with 3D printers: [http://www.helmet.fi/en-
US/Libraries_and_services/Library_Ma...](http://www.helmet.fi/en-
US/Libraries_and_services/Library_Makerspace)

One can reserve the printers online, see their status and so on.

Libraries are a wonderful existing resource to that can be leveraged to build
a platform for non-profit communal activities.

~~~
dominotw
They have these in Chicago. Seems to have fallen wayside recently.

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roymckenzie
They could be augmented with datacenters for a distributed search index that
is based on open source software.

~~~
rainbowmverse
Georgia already has this:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_(software)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_\(software\))

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randyrand
the purpose of a library is to indefinitely store important information for
easy public access and cull the fat. They are curators and information stores.

The need for curation has only increased in the information overload stage and
libraries are still desperately needed. Libraries need to operate more like
the internet archive.

