

Why are there still libraries? - adulau
http://blog.8bitlibrary.com/2011/02/21/advocacy-maybe/

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entangld
I'm kind of ashamed that people even have to ask this question.

I live a block from my library. Parents take dozens of books home to read to
their kids. They don't have to buy them. It would be VERY expensive to buy
hundreds of kids books per year. A well informed society benefits everyone.

If you already pay for internet, have a computer, have a college degree, buy
books on amazon, live in a big city around well-educated individuals, you
might not need a library, but you didn't get any of that for free. It cost a
lot of money to get you to that point. Not everyone has that.

The costs of self-educating without a library would be very high for someone
without means. If you just factor cost of computer, internet fees and time it
would to search for and acquire low cost/free materials (books are cheaper to
carry, require no electricity) it's easy to see that it's not a close
comparison.

Our problem is that many people can't visualize the benefits of a library
until they are in economic turmoil (library use increased during the
recession). We don't need fewer libraries, we need more people reading.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
I find it too expensive(!) to use a library. Getting there, getting back,
paying late fees (almost every time). Then, getting library books confused
with my own (I have thousands).

No, much cheaper and less stress to just buy the dang things.

And another thing. I can't believe its not cheaper to just buy people books,
than to build a large edifice, staff it with dozens of people, heat it and
maintain it. Just sell it, and put up a website: kids books free.

~~~
entangld
You can renew books at most libraries online and avoid late fees.

It's cheaper to buy a book than to borrow a free one?

Most individuals with money find it more convenient to spend money (e.g. -
cooking, transportation, etc...). One building can serve many thousands over a
year. Borrowing scales better than buying.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
Look at the stats on your local library. Maybe they used to serve the public,
now they serve a loyal following of library nuts.

Look at the stats on your police station, or fire station, or post office
(oops - maybe not so good). They pay their way.

Carnegie had it right, in the 1910's. But the world has changed, and the
library model is (fast becoming) obsolete.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
And here's some stats on Alaska public libraries:
[http://library.state.ak.us/dev/plstats/plstats.html#annual_s...](http://library.state.ak.us/dev/plstats/plstats.html#annual_spreadsheets)

What does it show? That Internet access accounts for 1/3 of visits. Do you
think that is going up, or going down?

Let's cut to the chase: replace the library with public access Internet
stations, and stop pretending.

Ok, look at it this way. Does your kid go down to the library to research a
school report? Or just Google it? Do they even know how to use the index to
periodicals? Why?

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noonespecial
Libraries are a master-stroke of egalitarianism. They're paid for mostly by
the rich, benefit the poor most of all, and when used as intended can't help
but better the individuals who use them. They are about as free from
corruption as any government program ever has been, are not strongly
influenced by commercial interests, and seem to have almost supernaturally
resisted the huge, ridiculous, parasitic bureaucracies that have latched on to
other similar government programs.

They're worth having around just to be able to step back once in a while and
say "Son of a sheepdog! It is possible!"

