Comments on: Libraries, Renewal, Democracy, and That Kind of Thing

By: Meg

Meg — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:03:54 +0000

It’s easy to trivialize access to best-sellers and DVDs, but without a middle class, you don’t have a robust democracy. Without social mobility for the lower classes, same thing. Having access to all of these resources (even the trivial for entertainment) is part of what makes a free society.

“Democracy? Itself?! OMG!! So, let me get this straight. If public libraries can’t supply bestselling novels and Top 40 songs and free Hollywood movies to The People, then Democracy (Itself!) is threatened? Really?”

“In fact, one could argue that taking away free entertainment from people is a good thing for democracy. Democracy thrives on participation, on global awareness and civic engagement. Sitting around consuming popular movies is hardly the way to become an engaged citizen in a democracy.”

Well, that’s a great way to erode a free and open civil society, which is a necessary component of a liberal democracy (liberal as in the philosophical sense, not the party sense) and one that doesn’t just appear like magic overnight. So, yes–there’s a lot of trivial check-outs at the library, but I for one am glad. Obviously, I think your statements were meant to be hyperbolic, but it’s not funny, especially when people start to agree with you.

Have you heard of Freedom House? This organization has lots of information on the variables that go into making a truly free society. They come out with country rankings, too. And no, we’re not perfect. But libraries are a democratic institution–that’s just silly to try to argue against that.

By: LibraryMemory

LibraryMemory — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:50:18 +0000

These are the same folks that were behind another big embarrassment: Library 101.

http://libraryman.com/library101/

By: ExistentialLibrarian

ExistentialLibrarian — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:24:20 +0000

Fantastic…one of your best posts ever, AL. This group is an embarassment. They don’t even recognize the ultimate irony of marketing a video of a PRINTED product advocating e-content.

By: gatoloco

gatoloco — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:25:36 +0000

Right on Erin. There is nothing wrong with this kind of effort. In fact, I believe, that if they do not succeed, we will be further marginalized as professionals. We can jape at corny songs, but it does not change the fact that it is put up or shut up time for the relevance of many institutions facing the e-book revolution. Someone needs to provide affordable access, I just hope libraries will be the ones doing it.

By: MobFlasher

MobFlasher — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:09:07 +0000

1. I can’t stomach another library song. There are more useful and entertaining ways to be “fun and creative” than to keep singing about library crap.

2. I looked at the list of “staff and board members” and exclaimed “Woo hoo! Another library technology sausage party!” Aside from the one token woman/library administrator, it’s a bunch of d00dz. Because it totally takes a peen to be part of the library technology conversation.

By: No. 6

No. 6 — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:08:44 +0000

I would say that an interview with the President of the organization is American Libraries “bothering to engage directly” with the founders of Library Renewal. Generally the President of an organization is the spokesperson. I don’t think the the AL staff writer lacked any due diligence here.

It seems that Library Renewal is loosely related to the EQUACC (Equal Access to Electronic Content) task force in AL, with which Michael Porter was involved. I think that there is substantial work to be done in this area (part of which is defined by the EQUACC report). Unfortunately Library Renewal seems to be 1) ignorant of economics and 2) focusing on the more frivolous parts of electronic content. (And I do like a good murder mystery to read on my Kindle. I am not anti-fiction.)

As for the levity represented by the zine and song: it is good that they can have fun, but shows lack of judgement. Some things are best kept as internal motivational tools. It doesn’t present the image to the publishing world of an organization to be listened to. In-jokes fail to impress the world at large.

By: Joneser

Joneser — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:40:13 +0000

The video – at least as much as I watched, with the sound off, is of pans of a printed page. Huh.

By: sidney

sidney — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:59:21 +0000

@GMinL: “Many accomplished and knowledgeable people are involved with Library Renewal”.

And so are some shallow selfpromoters.

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:05:11 +0000

The whole point of Library Renewal is to keep libraries relevant with changes in technology. What’s wrong with that? And it is not just poor people who want popular books and entertainment. Aren’t libraries supposed to serve a wide audience? If the library has what people want, people are going to come in and use it. What’s the point of having a warehouse of books if people don’t use it?

I think the song is great. At least they are trying to be fun and creative.

By: JimBobbaloo

JimBobbaloo — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:10:11 +0000

Here! Here! Thank you for the common sense!