A review of John Palfrey's new book 'BiblioTech,' and the culturally
critical role libraries play.
If you were airdropped, blindfolded, into a strange town and given nothing but a bus ticket, to where would you ride that bus? You might be surprised to learn that there’s only one good answer, and that’s the public library. The library is the public living room, and if ever you are stripped of everything private—money, friends and orientation—you can go there and become a human again.
Of course, you don’t have to
be homeless to use a library, but that’s the point. You don’t have to be anyone
in particular to go inside and stay as long as you want, sit in its armchairs,
read the news, write your dissertation, charge your phone, use the bathroom,
check your email, find the address of a hotel or homeless shelter. Of all the
institutions we have, both public and private, the public library is the truest
democratic space.
The library’s value isn’t
lost on us. A Gallup survey from 2013 found that libraries are not just
popular, they’re extremely popular. Over 90 percent of Americans feel
that libraries are a vital part of their communities. Compare this to 53 percent for the police, 27 percent
for public schools, and just 7 percent for Congress, and you’re looking at
perhaps the greatest success of the public sector.
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