Issue #37
February 28, 2005
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
New York City Why Pick On Libraries? by Gert Innsry Whenever a municipal budget is to be cut, the first target is always the libraries. Perennially starved for funds, library closings, shortened hours and reduced services are piled on to balance the city's shortfall, despite the fact that the money thus saved is trivial. Why is this so?
Two reasons come to mind: one is that there is no powerful constituency ready to do battle to protect libraries - no library equivalent of the Teachers Union or suburban soccer moms as there is for the public schools; no library equivalent of district improvement associations or chamber of commerce as there is for city business-oriented services. Neither votes nor money is mobilized to save the libraries from Draconian cuts.
Second, libraries are not perceived as an essential city service, the way schools, fire protection, clean water or policing are. There is the feeling that with TV, the internet, CDs and DVDs, the bases are covered as far as the information and entertainment needs of the public are concerned. The library was the poor man's university; now, there is less concern for the poor man's education, and an expectation that anything that can be found in the library can be found at home. This just isn't true.
What does the library provide that is unique and important? Seven things immediately come to mind (not in order of importance):
1. A clean, quiet, well-lighted space where a child or adult can work, study, read or dream without distraction
2. Access to the internet for free.
3. A well-stocked collection of reference and circulating books of all types.
4. Librarians who can give advice, answer questions, help with research and maintain order.
5. The ability to browse, and thus the opportunity for surprising and serendipitous contacts with areas of knowledge that the browser might not have intended to explore.
6. A chance to acquire a love of books and a love of learning that might not be encouraged at home or school.
7. The opportunity for free self-education and the tools to try out an area of interest before spending money on it.
Rather than having its own vulnerable budget, perhaps the library system should be viewed as an adjunct to the Board of Education and Board of Higher Education, and receive its funding from these bodies, supplying in turn improved coordination with educational institutions and an advanced level of library services within these institutions. Our libraries are precious and important. If they can't defend themselves, they should become wards of organizations that can defend them.
New York Stringer is published by NYStringer.com. For all communications, contact David Katz, Editor and Publisher, at david@nystringer.com
All content copyright 2005 by nystringer.com
Click on underlined bylines for the author’s home page.