The public library is indeed an institution that has not kept up with the times. But given what has happened to our times, why do you see that as unhealthy? In an age of greed and selfishness, the public library stands as an enduring monument to the values of cooperation and sharing. In an age where global corporations stride the earth, the public library remains firmly rooted in the local community. In an age of widespread cynicism and distrust of government, the 100 percent tax supported public library has virtually unanimous and enthusiastic support.
... Libraries are much more than bookstores. About 30 percent of the people who visit libraries do not borrow books. For a greater number of people than we might care to believe, the library serves as a warm and dry sanctuary, a place they can sit without fear of being bothered. For others, it is a refuge from loneliness, a place full of hustle and bustle, where they can attend a concert, or hear a lecture or read a magazine free of charge.
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All things public are under attack. The Fort Worth [library] rebranding [to remove the word ‘public’] is an indication of how effective this attack has been. The city explained that it was dropping the word "public" because of its "potentially negative connotation." The Founding Fathers would be disconsolate. John Adams wrote in 1776, "There must be a positive passion for the public good, the public interest… established in the minds of the people, or there can be no republican government, nor any real liberty: and this public passion must be superior to all private passions." Thomas Jefferson agreed, "I profess… that to be false pride which postpones the public good to any private or personal considerations."
All Hail the Public Library!
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