My mom is a librarian. She says that some people are starting to think that libraries are outlandish etc. particularly in suburbs near big cities that have significant non-white populations, where libraries (often one of the only places where social services, basic human comforts, and cultural life are freely available) play a huge role in the community. Library funding, at least in my region, was devastated after 2008 and never recovered, while librarians and libraries were transitioning to play a big role in the digital age, with free use computers, e-readers, audiobooks etc.
Austerity has, either accidentally or intentionally, hamstrung libraries and prevented them from expanding services to keep up with the needs of the people.
Terry Deary, author of the Horrible Histories series of books (which I give a lot of credit for getting me interested in history as a child and fuelling my passion for learning about the past) said:
We've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers
He goes on to say that because people don't buy his books and get them from libraries instead, he can't earn the money he wants to.
If I sold the book I'd get 30p per book. I get six grand, and I should be getting £180,000 [...] The libraries are doing nothing for the book industry. They give nothing back, whereas bookshops are selling the book, and the author and the publisher get paid, which is as it should be. What other entertainment do we expect to get for free?
When every other author I loved as a child is joining campaigns to save public libraries (which actually do so much more than just lend out books), it was a real punch in the gut to see him disregard his impact on millions of children in favour of making a couple of quid.
PonderedNameForDays on May 7th, 2018 at 12:52 UTC »
Imagine what they would say about interstate highway system. “Who’s going to pay for it? What about all the freeloaders?”
75812 on May 7th, 2018 at 13:50 UTC »
My mom is a librarian. She says that some people are starting to think that libraries are outlandish etc. particularly in suburbs near big cities that have significant non-white populations, where libraries (often one of the only places where social services, basic human comforts, and cultural life are freely available) play a huge role in the community. Library funding, at least in my region, was devastated after 2008 and never recovered, while librarians and libraries were transitioning to play a big role in the digital age, with free use computers, e-readers, audiobooks etc.
Austerity has, either accidentally or intentionally, hamstrung libraries and prevented them from expanding services to keep up with the needs of the people.
98thRedBalloon on May 7th, 2018 at 14:07 UTC »
Terry Deary, author of the Horrible Histories series of books (which I give a lot of credit for getting me interested in history as a child and fuelling my passion for learning about the past) said:
He goes on to say that because people don't buy his books and get them from libraries instead, he can't earn the money he wants to.
When every other author I loved as a child is joining campaigns to save public libraries (which actually do so much more than just lend out books), it was a real punch in the gut to see him disregard his impact on millions of children in favour of making a couple of quid.