In Praise of Public Libraries

Just read an interesting article on the place of public libraries in the United States. I had no idea how American an institution a public library is. The photo shows the public library where I grew up -- and I have to say that when I run the mental video of the good parts of my childhood, time spent in this building is included.

It was built as a "neighborhood house" in the 1920s, and so it included the public library, an event room, complete with stage, a two-lane set-your-own-pins bowling alley in the basement -- I remember you had to pay 50 cents to bowl for an hour. Everything else was free, and this was the site of Girl Scout meetings, etc.

One of life's very cheap pleasures is browsing the shelves of a library -- almost moreso than a bookstore for some reason. I had never given the "right to information" notion much thought -- I think I took for granted the freedom to browse until I read this today:



Since its inception the American public library's prime directive has been to protect the public's access to information. In 1894, the right to know led Denver's public library to pioneer the concept of open stacks. For the first time patrons had the freedom to browse. In the 1930s, the right to know led Kentucky's librarians to ride pack horses and mules with saddle-bags filled with books into remote sections of the state.


In 1872, the right to know led the Worcester Massachusetts Public Library to open its doors on Sunday. Many viewed that as sacrilege. Head librarian Samuel Green calmly responded that a library intended to serve the public could do so only if it were accessible when the public could use it. Six day, 60-hour workweeks meant that if libraries were to serve the majority of the community they must be open on Sundays. Referring to those who might not spend their Sundays at worship Green impishly added, "If they are not going to save their souls in the church they should improve their minds in the library."

Elsewhere in this article, concerning the "right to information," the author talks about a parent returning a child's library card because the parent didn't approve of the book his child had taken out. The librarian in Elkhart, Indiana, mailed the card back to the child, saying that only the person whose card it is can turn it in.

Sadly, the article was about the cutback in library funding despite millions of people relying on them. If you're a lover of libraries, you may want to read the entire article here.