A reader writes:
Although I personally agree with Charles Simic's opine about books, he's misunderstanding what public libraries do now and why that quote is so ludicrous and hurting the case for libraries by couching it in nostalgia that will easily be swept aside by people less romantic.
The kids that go to the public library are going there for the Internet, and so are the adults in their community. Since high-speed Internet is still not considered a utility that everyone has a right to own for an affordable price, public libraries are the only thing keeping low-income Americans connected to the rest of us, for things like government services and information (which is heading very quickly to exclusively online access), job searching, and homework assignments. For many many people, the library is the Internet, and as cut after cut are forcing communities to close branches and drastically reduce hours, these people are getting left out.
Another reader is in the same territory:
Ironically, as Simic bemoans the Internet and the toll it takes on sustained reading, he nails the very reason why libraries are more important than ever. In an age when even university libraries are adding Starbucks cafes and ditching books by the millions, it is the librarian who stands as the best person to intervene and lead patrons toward reliable, authoritative online sources. We TRAIN students to find, use, and analyze material in meaningful ways so they aren't just Google-jumping their way through the Internet, but actually engaging thoughtfully with what they read.
THAT is why this current attack on libraries and librarians is a disaster: not because we're losing some sort of exalted atmosphere, but because we're losing the one person best positioned to help people master the online jungle.
(Photo: Library patrons surf the Internet at the Harold Washington Library on February 3, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. Libraries around the country have reported a surge in usage by patrons, a move attributed to the downturn in the economy. Chicago public libraries have seen a 26 percent increase in visitors in the past year. By Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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