The Library Situation is Dire, Folks
We talked to a friend of ours last night who is the director of a small public library in Northeast Ohio.
Our normally jolly friend had just had to lay off four of his employees.
Now of course Jim and I had been aware that Ohio libraries are in critical condition, but our friend has doubts about whether they'll make it through the night. Rumor has it that big systems like Dayton and Cincinnati are going to start closing branches.
(In the public library world, closing branches is a big, big deal. It's kind of like when terminally ill patients start to give away their most prized possessions.)
Afterwards, Jim said, "Great. Now Ohio libraries are just going to be like libraries in any other state."
In other words, the rich are going to have nice libraries and the people who need libraries the most are going to have shitty, understaffed ones with outdated technology and books that ought to have been thrown out years ago but haven't been because there's no money to replace them with better ones.
Or, more likely, no libraries at all.
I won't reinvent my own wheel here, but instead redirect you to my Epic Library Post of 2005 so you can read about why public libraries are great, why Ohio libraries are great in particular, and why public libraries are necessary. (Sorry that some of the links don't work anymore. You can probably look up the articles using one of the many subscription databases available @ your library.)
Also, here is an excerpt from my letter to Governor Strickland (and anyone else who would listen):
One final note, though: to anyone who is thinking about going to library school, DON'T DO IT. I've said this in the past, but really, now is not the time. Maybe in ten or fifteen years when we all start to realize that taxes pay for the things that make life worth living, but not now, or not at least until Ted Strickland grows a spine. I wish I could tell you the future was in plastics, or some other tangible, reassuring thing. But as far as I'm concerned, we're all living on the edge of a cliff right now.
Our normally jolly friend had just had to lay off four of his employees.
Now of course Jim and I had been aware that Ohio libraries are in critical condition, but our friend has doubts about whether they'll make it through the night. Rumor has it that big systems like Dayton and Cincinnati are going to start closing branches.
(In the public library world, closing branches is a big, big deal. It's kind of like when terminally ill patients start to give away their most prized possessions.)
Afterwards, Jim said, "Great. Now Ohio libraries are just going to be like libraries in any other state."
In other words, the rich are going to have nice libraries and the people who need libraries the most are going to have shitty, understaffed ones with outdated technology and books that ought to have been thrown out years ago but haven't been because there's no money to replace them with better ones.
Or, more likely, no libraries at all.
I won't reinvent my own wheel here, but instead redirect you to my Epic Library Post of 2005 so you can read about why public libraries are great, why Ohio libraries are great in particular, and why public libraries are necessary. (Sorry that some of the links don't work anymore. You can probably look up the articles using one of the many subscription databases available @ your library.)
Also, here is an excerpt from my letter to Governor Strickland (and anyone else who would listen):
As a former public librarian, I can tell you that public library service during a recession is absolutely essential. I have helped hundreds of people look for jobs online - a very daunting prospect for people who have been laid off after 20+ years, or who have never used a computer. I have helped people create resumes, apply for public assistance, shop for low insurance rates, find continuing education opportunities, and learn how to use word processing, spreadsheet, and other computer programs that are necessary to know in today's workplace.
Cutting public library funding in Ohio, especially when our unemployment rate has now exceeded 10%, is an economic disaster waiting to happen.
One final note, though: to anyone who is thinking about going to library school, DON'T DO IT. I've said this in the past, but really, now is not the time. Maybe in ten or fifteen years when we all start to realize that taxes pay for the things that make life worth living, but not now, or not at least until Ted Strickland grows a spine. I wish I could tell you the future was in plastics, or some other tangible, reassuring thing. But as far as I'm concerned, we're all living on the edge of a cliff right now.
posted by Christine Borne at 6:48 AM
1 Comments:
I use the CPL at the end of my street all the time. It's so convenient to go online when I see a book I'm interested in, place a hold, and it gets delivered right there. I usually end up renting a 'free' book this way long before I'd make a trip to buy the book...
I've been reading about your job loss (I lost my job last year 3 days before my husband & I closed on our first home). Get in touch with me through my site, I've got some $ prospects for you but don't want to leave it via comment :)
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