4 ms·

Would we not all be better served by abolishing school libraries and replacing them with regional community libraries with select textbooks and such reserved fo

Would we not all be better served by abolishing school libraries and replacing them with regional community libraries with select textbooks and such reserved for school kids? If I’m in a high school, I can only have my high school’s books. If I’m an adult, those books are now dead to me. If the books are instead in a public library, many more can enjoy them (and the funding is better distributed as well). I certainly remember being in high school and simply going to my public library any time I wanted a book because the selection was infinitely better.

majormajor 5y ago
How are you picturing all these kids getting to that regional library regularly?
- zozbot234 5y ago
  School libraries could ask for these books via interlibrary loans?
  - ceejayoz 5y ago
    The abolished school libraries?
zwieback 5y ago
Was wondering about the same thing. I grew up in Germany where school libraries weren't a big thing. My kids went to school here but always went to the public library. Probably a much bigger issue in rural areas where the school is maybe the only place where any kind book can be accessed by kids.
ceejayoz 5y ago
> If I’m in a high school, I can only have my high school’s books. What? You can still go to the public library. > If I’m an adult, those books are now dead to me. You will likely find those same books in the public library.
alar44 5y ago
No, that doesn't make any sense on any level.
dmd 5y ago
The effect of that would be that 95% of kids never set foot in a library.
pjscott 5y ago
When I was in high school, the school library was a few minutes away and I could go there easily during the school day. The town library was a lot harder to get to. Your experience may differ —- but people have lots of different experiences; blanket laws affect all of them, and should be made with the appropriate degree of caution.
bastardoperator 5y ago
When has limiting access to knowledge ever been a good thing? This is probably the most disappointing thing I've read on the internet in a while.
- jimbob45 5y ago
  You say that but if my school library doesn’t have a book and some other school’s library does, I don’t have access to that book ever in my life. If the libraries were consolidated into a regional library, everyone in the region gets access to a super library for life. Furthermore, the library would be high quality as a result of many schools funding it.

majormajor 5y ago

How are you picturing all these kids getting to that regional library regularly?

zozbot234 5y ago
School libraries could ask for these books via interlibrary loans?
- ceejayoz 5y ago
  The abolished school libraries?

zwieback 5y ago

Was wondering about the same thing. I grew up in Germany where school libraries weren't a big thing. My kids went to school here but always went to the public library. Probably a much bigger issue in rural areas where the school is maybe the only place where any kind book can be accessed by kids.

ceejayoz 5y ago

> If I’m in a high school, I can only have my high school’s books. What? You can still go to the public library. > If I’m an adult, those books are now dead to me. You will likely find those same books in the public library.

alar44 5y ago

No, that doesn't make any sense on any level.

dmd 5y ago

The effect of that would be that 95% of kids never set foot in a library.

pjscott 5y ago

When I was in high school, the school library was a few minutes away and I could go there easily during the school day. The town library was a lot harder to get to. Your experience may differ —- but people have lots of different experiences; blanket laws affect all of them, and should be made with the appropriate degree of caution.

bastardoperator 5y ago

When has limiting access to knowledge ever been a good thing? This is probably the most disappointing thing I've read on the internet in a while.

jimbob45 5y ago
You say that but if my school library doesn’t have a book and some other school’s library does, I don’t have access to that book ever in my life. If the libraries were consolidated into a regional library, everyone in the region gets access to a super library for life. Furthermore, the library would be high quality as a result of many schools funding it.