
Why Libraries Matter (2014) [video] - Tomte
http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/371084/why-libraries-matter/?single_page=true
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VonGuard
Spend just an hour at a local library in a struggling section of the largest
city near you, and you'll see that this is where the poor come to interact
with modern society. 1000's of people come here to access the Internet, get
help with things like GMail, or online signups for unemployment insurance.
They get tax help, legal help from lawyers who come give free consultations,
and libraries offer some of the best child care events available: baby
bounces, story time, big picnics, etc.

Libraries are some of the most important public spaces out there. Oakland even
has a tool lending library with weed wackers, hammers, drills...

Libraries are the only public institutions dedicated to freely increasing the
education level of adults.

~~~
microcolonel
We have plenty of homeless here in Toronto, and having spent many days of my
youth at the public libraries (at least five whole days, from open to close,
in at least six locations) I can say I have never even once seen a homeless
person inside for any other purpose than to use the washroom. Is your
experience universal in the U.S?

~~~
pmoriarty
It's definitely true in San Francisco, where much of the library literally
reeks from all the homeless people. Many of them do seem to be using it,
though I'm sure plenty come in just to use the bathrooms, rest, or sleep.

~~~
VonGuard
SF Main is an example of a library gone wrong: it's literally a homeless camp,
and smells horrible because of it. Oakland has better control: they have a bit
of standards, and don't allow homeless people to impede the use by regular
citizens, without restricting access for homelsss users. It's a tight rope,
but if homeless people make the library unusable by other people, that's
blocking access, just like it would be if homeless people aren't allowed in.
It's a tricky balance to pull off, but Oakland does it well, SF has given up
and let the homeless people win.

I literally left SF Main once because some guy with a pantload of feces was
monopolizing the graphic novels section. Couldn't get within 10 feet.

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peatmoss
I attended a talk this year where the speaker made two points that have stuck
with me:

1\. Because of legal precedent surrounding protection of patron records,
librarians are in a similar category as priests and lawyers.

2\. Libraries are a great leveler for society. Paraphrasing: you don't have to
dress a certain way; you don't have to look a certain way, and you don't even
need to smell good to use a library.

Depending on your outlook, the second point could seem like an in-joke at the
expense of homeless, but I find it profoundly poignant.

A side note about the value and impact that libraries have on people's lives.
I grew up in Montana where I was routinely asked by older adults if I was any
relation to the woman who read / told them stories every day after school. I
would reply that she was my grandmother, and they would launch into stories
about how they and their friends didn't have any place to go after school, and
how much they loved the nice lady at the library.

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wizardforhire
I love libraries, I can't sing their accolades enough. If you ever get the
chance to read Benjamin Franklin's autobiography it's a must read. Here's a
link to a PDf
[http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/b...](http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/benjamin_franklin_-
_autobiography_of_benjamin_franklin.pdf)

The future of libraries relies on successful and continued rhetoric for their
existence.

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pmoriarty
Also see this fantastic interview with Ray Bradbury:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF3uZf4G3Lo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF3uZf4G3Lo)

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woodandsteel
I am wondering what conservatives think about public libraries. Conservative
ideology supports making government minimal, which would seem to imply they
would oppose public libraries, but perhaps that is not they actually think.

~~~
mee_too
Close the libraries down, same as public baths. I don't want my taxes being
wasted on those people.

~~~
nine_k
Would you rather share streets with people who bathe, or not? Would you rather
share the streets with people who read books, or not?

