Libraries Can Be More Than Just Books (2017)(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
Libraries Can Be More Than Just Books (2017)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/opinion/libraries-affordable-housing.html
24 comments
I think it depends on who is actually using the library. An elderly person looking for information on cancer, or a trashy romance novel probably just wants a book. A parent feeding their kids habit for book about fairies probably just wants lots and lots of books. It is easy to jump on bandwagons that may have limited appeal to existing users. Books are an excellent source of information in particular contexts. And using technology as a replacement is in its infancy for some type of book.
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.
> not just information, but useful information.
all information is useful, as utility is dependent on the context for which the information is needed.
all information is useful, as utility is dependent on the context for which the information is needed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are already places that rent tools. And some of us buy power tools because we want to have it easily available for use. A well cared for, high quality tool will last a lifetime, so just because I might not use it every day doesn’t mean that I am not going to enjoy years of use. As far as tools that are actually rarely used (a trench digger for example,) that what rental shops are for. Why should government get into the rental business? There are already those types of businesses in place and they’re great: people that care about renting power tools can pay to rent power tools without requiring literally the entirety of society to support their ability to rent power tools.
As far as clothes — there are already resale shops that are really efficient at this.
If you want to further improve sustainability, then provide tax cuts for those types of businesses to provide them incentives to keep operating and to be able to provide lower prices.
The point is that everything you describe already exists in the private sector.
As far as clothes — there are already resale shops that are really efficient at this.
If you want to further improve sustainability, then provide tax cuts for those types of businesses to provide them incentives to keep operating and to be able to provide lower prices.
The point is that everything you describe already exists in the private sector.
I have been to libraries that have things like toys, hardware tools, and umbrellas that the public can lend. Got a plug-in power meter for 14 days, to estimate the power cost of my aquarium. They also provide a service where you can "lend" a person to chat with. I once worked at an university library (which is also open to the public), where we had a collection of historical artefacts of graphical design. Most of the documents are things like cigarette packages, typefaces, shopping bags, etc.
So in my experience libraries are pretty open to a broad range of resources, even non-informational ones. The concept of a document, is in the library science literature, often understood as very inclusive.[0]
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Briet#Impact_on_inform...
So in my experience libraries are pretty open to a broad range of resources, even non-informational ones. The concept of a document, is in the library science literature, often understood as very inclusive.[0]
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Briet#Impact_on_inform...
Lyft/Uber are like libraries for cars...
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
This begs the question--where are you from? I think your experience is likely fairly atypical.
This wonderful service is provided by the Helsinki metropolitan area libraries.
http://www.helmet.fi/
http://www.helmet.fi/
I am not ok with paying taxes to support this. I have to pay 50% of my after tax pay for housing. So I really don’t care if some less privileged person can borrow a 3D printer.
You do realize that the added cost of borrowing non-book items in libraries is petty pennies on top of the cost of running a library. It's also re-using some of the resources that were previously used to borrow and transport books (which isn't as popular any more).
Getting to try a 3d printer in the library (this item you can't take home, or the grand piano for that matter) may be a life-changing experience for that less privileged kid and give them the opportunities for better life.
I grew up less-privileged in a lousy neighborhood in the 1990s and have to thank my local library for all the programming books, computer and internet access and magazine subscriptions in helping me eventually get a degree in Computer Science and become a professional in the field.
But you are not alone with your opinion, there are plenty of people who think "libraries should stick to books" or "shut down libraries, no-one reads books any more". I choose to politely disagree and say "borrow all the things".
Getting to try a 3d printer in the library (this item you can't take home, or the grand piano for that matter) may be a life-changing experience for that less privileged kid and give them the opportunities for better life.
I grew up less-privileged in a lousy neighborhood in the 1990s and have to thank my local library for all the programming books, computer and internet access and magazine subscriptions in helping me eventually get a degree in Computer Science and become a professional in the field.
But you are not alone with your opinion, there are plenty of people who think "libraries should stick to books" or "shut down libraries, no-one reads books any more". I choose to politely disagree and say "borrow all the things".
Like a mixture of library and hackerspace? Sounds like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture
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...
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.
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...
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.
They have these in Chicago. Seems to have fallen wayside recently.
They could be augmented with datacenters for a distributed search index that is based on open source software.
Georgia already has this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_(software)
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.
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.
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.