3 ms·

If you want a community learning center with computers then why are you asking for a library? http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/library http://www.merr

If you want a community learning center with computers then why are you asking for a library? http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/library http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/library Words matter. People skim, people read headlines. If I read "libraries are in trouble" or "more support for libraries" needed I think "no, anyone with a free smart phone can access the entire internet". They can get a netbook for under $300 or probably a used one for under $50. Yea, I read the entire post and I understand the guy is poor. I'm just saying that the word "library" is negatively framing the issue. If we need places for disadvantaged people to be able to use computers and the internet for free and get instruction great! I'm all for that. But that's not a "library"

mcantelon 15y ago
Yeah, "economic integration centers" or something might help frame their utilitarian value. People who can't integrate with the system end up integrating with the criminal world, so it's worth the social investment to provide computer access, etc.
- marshallp 15y ago
  That's a great name for it "economic integration center". There's probably a business idea in there as well. Kind of a franchised system, where a company create a saas app and you local socialpreneurs who stand/park near offices with laptops help people. You often see this in third world countires near government offices such as passport offices who help people for a small fee. The socialpreneurs could probably even be crowdfunded on kickstarter/indiegogo.
- kalleboo 15y ago
  One town in the UK rebranded their Libraries to "Idea Stores" http://www.ideastore.co.uk/ http://www.ideastore.co.uk/
njharman 15y ago
Even using the shallow definition for Public Libraries > a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale That is the exactly what large parts of the Internet is. That they are physically books, cd's, dvds' is absolutely immaterial.

mcantelon 15y ago

Yeah, "economic integration centers" or something might help frame their utilitarian value. People who can't integrate with the system end up integrating with the criminal world, so it's worth the social investment to provide computer access, etc.

marshallp 15y ago
That's a great name for it "economic integration center". There's probably a business idea in there as well. Kind of a franchised system, where a company create a saas app and you local socialpreneurs who stand/park near offices with laptops help people. You often see this in third world countires near government offices such as passport offices who help people for a small fee. The socialpreneurs could probably even be crowdfunded on kickstarter/indiegogo.
kalleboo 15y ago
One town in the UK rebranded their Libraries to "Idea Stores" http://www.ideastore.co.uk/ http://www.ideastore.co.uk/

njharman 15y ago

Even using the shallow definition for Public Libraries > a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale That is the exactly what large parts of the Internet is. That they are physically books, cd's, dvds' is absolutely immaterial.