3 ms·

By definition a library houses a collection of books and other media. Allowing borrowing by members of the public is optional. Maintaining a collection another

By definition a library houses a collection of books and other media. Allowing borrowing by members of the public is optional. Maintaining a collection another way of saying preserving information over time. So I would argue IA is correct. But if your local libraries are anything like mine, the focus is far less about books and more about providing a community space.

wirrbel 4y ago
Carnegie was iirc denied access to libraries which led him to promote public libraries that enable learning. From my perspective it’s fair that not every town opts to keep a physical archive of every book. However it would be great if every book that is decommissioned is scanned if not already digitally preserved and each new book should probably submitted for archival purposes in digital form by the publisher to the national library directly nowadays. Just as the laws typically require a physical copy of the book to submitted to the national libraries (here in Germany it’s the „state“ library that received books, in order to reduce the risk of book destruction in case of fascist take over and Gleichschaltung. This would be a concern for a centralized archive.org I would hope there is a great backup strategy in place that can prevent deletions from the archive
lazyasciiart 4y ago
That definition would make any bookstore a library. Perhaps that means it is lacking specificity, because nobody uses the word "library" and means a bookstore.
- teruakohatu 4y ago
  Is a bookstore maintaining a collection or getting rid of books as fast as possible (for cash)? Even a rare book store would glady empty their entire inventory for a price.
  - lazyasciiart 4y ago
    So it's an implicit part of your definition of 'library' that they not only house the collection, but that they will not sell books? Or at least that they collect books without intending to ever sell them?
    - teruakohatu 4y ago
      Taxonomy is indeed hard. In my opinion it comes down to the purpose and reason for existence. To answer your question I don't think selling a single book makes a library less a library. But if a public lending 'library' had a price tag on every book, I would say it is a bookstore with loans. In your mind do you consider an iron ore bulk carrier in Australia different from a natural history meusum in France or an iron ore dealer in Argentina? They all store rocks and minerals, including iron ore, and so they could all be called "iron ore storage facilities". But only one of them has the purpose of studying and preserving artifacts and so it makes sense to create a subclass and call it a meusum.
      - lazyasciiart 4y ago
        So, we agree that library is a subset of 'place that collects and stores books'.

wirrbel 4y ago

Carnegie was iirc denied access to libraries which led him to promote public libraries that enable learning. From my perspective it’s fair that not every town opts to keep a physical archive of every book. However it would be great if every book that is decommissioned is scanned if not already digitally preserved and each new book should probably submitted for archival purposes in digital form by the publisher to the national library directly nowadays. Just as the laws typically require a physical copy of the book to submitted to the national libraries (here in Germany it’s the „state“ library that received books, in order to reduce the risk of book destruction in case of fascist take over and Gleichschaltung. This would be a concern for a centralized archive.org I would hope there is a great backup strategy in place that can prevent deletions from the archive

lazyasciiart 4y ago

That definition would make any bookstore a library. Perhaps that means it is lacking specificity, because nobody uses the word "library" and means a bookstore.

teruakohatu 4y ago
Is a bookstore maintaining a collection or getting rid of books as fast as possible (for cash)? Even a rare book store would glady empty their entire inventory for a price.
- lazyasciiart 4y ago
  So it's an implicit part of your definition of 'library' that they not only house the collection, but that they will not sell books? Or at least that they collect books without intending to ever sell them?
  - teruakohatu 4y ago
    Taxonomy is indeed hard. In my opinion it comes down to the purpose and reason for existence. To answer your question I don't think selling a single book makes a library less a library. But if a public lending 'library' had a price tag on every book, I would say it is a bookstore with loans. In your mind do you consider an iron ore bulk carrier in Australia different from a natural history meusum in France or an iron ore dealer in Argentina? They all store rocks and minerals, including iron ore, and so they could all be called "iron ore storage facilities". But only one of them has the purpose of studying and preserving artifacts and so it makes sense to create a subclass and call it a meusum.
    - lazyasciiart 4y ago
      So, we agree that library is a subset of 'place that collects and stores books'.