4 ms·

This is such an absurd comment I have to counter it. The library near me is wonderful, and my wife regularly goes there just because of how peaceful it is and

This is such an absurd comment I have to counter it. The library near me is wonderful, and my wife regularly goes there just because of how peaceful it is and how broad their e-book collection is for her bus rides. I'm in a normal no-name township, nothing particularly wealthy. Same goes for the library where I grew up, and from visits back, it's in about the same state. Volunteer work there was integral to my growing up, and accessibility to the books there was 100% of the reason I became such an avid reader. Just because you don't like libraries, and you may have seen some bad ones, doesn't mean you should seek to remove one of the remaining bastions of government services that purely serve to better the quality of life accessible to all. (I'd cite PBS as well) I'd say the same about museums. To abscond from a public duty to educate and provide information, we religate ourselves to the unfortunately trend of a citizenship lacking in critical thinking and inquisitiveness. If govt spending is such a key issue, it's mind-boggling that one would focus on such trivial non-%'s as opposed to the largest allocations, of which there are MANY well-discussed inefficiencies.

spunker540 8y ago
My first job was in a superb suburban library in the Midwest which was open from 9am-9pm (except on sundays which was noon-5pm). However I now live in NYC, the city that never sleeps, and can’t believe that local libraries in Manhattan are generally open 10am-6pm making them hard for students to visit if they have extra-curricular activities and nearly impossible for anyone working to ever take advantage. The hours alone seem to indicate the libraries are mostly for the retired or unemployed.
AceyMan 8y ago
Countering anecdotal experience: I live in a wealthy (high COL, at least) area, and I see what the GP referred to. Housing here is very expensive, ergo, living spaces are small, so I tried to go to the library to get some "real studying" done on my own time — every time the city library was slap full (all booths and chairs occupied) with 95% homeless folk. I love and appreciate city run libraries but IME they are directly suffering from the lack of social support and affordable housing to that portion of the population. (me: lives in West Los Angeles/Beach Cities area)
masonic 8y ago
I'm in a normal no-name township ... which generally means it attracts fewer homeless.

spunker540 8y ago

My first job was in a superb suburban library in the Midwest which was open from 9am-9pm (except on sundays which was noon-5pm). However I now live in NYC, the city that never sleeps, and can’t believe that local libraries in Manhattan are generally open 10am-6pm making them hard for students to visit if they have extra-curricular activities and nearly impossible for anyone working to ever take advantage. The hours alone seem to indicate the libraries are mostly for the retired or unemployed.

AceyMan 8y ago

Countering anecdotal experience: I live in a wealthy (high COL, at least) area, and I see what the GP referred to. Housing here is very expensive, ergo, living spaces are small, so I tried to go to the library to get some "real studying" done on my own time — every time the city library was slap full (all booths and chairs occupied) with 95% homeless folk. I love and appreciate city run libraries but IME they are directly suffering from the lack of social support and affordable housing to that portion of the population. (me: lives in West Los Angeles/Beach Cities area)

masonic 8y ago

I'm in a normal no-name township ... which generally means it attracts fewer homeless.