In the process of researching for a recent term paper, I went to our forlorn Glenn G. Bartle Library stacks to dig up some books. Though it wasn’t my first trip to the stacks, it was one of only a handful during my eight-month-and-counting tenure at Binghamton University. I’m not one to study in the stark, noiseless Bartle environment, so I’ve only made the trip upstairs — for essay research — a couple of times. Advanced apologies to those who already make good use of the library (endangered species that you are), but it hit me during my most recent visit how stupendous libraries really are.
I did a quick search of books related to my research topic — nuclear disarmament — and within 15 minutes had an armful of 10 books. After giving my information to the desk clerk, I could saunter out of there with the books, just like that! OK, I know what you’re thinking: “Yeah, so what?”
Our generation, Generation Y, has grown up with ever increasing demands for free goods. The Internet has transformed once expensive commodities, such as music and movies, into compact files available at no charge, downloadable at the click of a button. While incredibly convenient, these forms of distribution operate outside the law. We have grown up in a strange world of ubiquitous illegality. But in this cutting-edge Internet world, the public library, a millennia-old institution, offers a bastion of opportunity, not to mention legality.
For too many, the library is a distant childhood memory: your first ID card, the first time you needed to sign your name, the only “store” where you could have anything you wanted. Fond memories of endless starter chapter books have slipped into the past. Indeed, just a year ago the library may have seemed dreadfully passe. But in a world of sudden (and marked) decreases in wealth, libraries are regaining importance.
Limitless (free) books available for your every reading whim are just the start of a library’s offerings. Most public libraries have respectable collections of CDs and DVDs and offer readings by authors, free Internet access, performances, seminars, movie screenings and the list goes on. According to The New York Times, most New York City-area libraries are seeing double-digit percentage increases in usage over a year. In lieu of expensive Netflix subscriptions or $30 hardcovers, people are flocking to their local branch.
Ironically, the same economic downturn that is making people rediscover the wonders of free public lending may jeopardize library services. When states and municipalities have to meet budgets, seemingly superfluous public services such as libraries are the first to see cuts. Furthermore, libraries are often directly funded by property taxes, so foreclosures hit libraries harder than other municipal functions. This means everything from fewer book purchases, to fewer opening hours, to fewer librarians and library services. But as we enter an age of increasing fiscal awareness, libraries are becoming more and more relevant and vital.
The American Library Association estimates that nationwide, libraries are the only source of free Internet access in 73 percent of communities (83 percent in rural areas). For someone who has just lost his or her job, something as simple as Internet access can be the ticket to finding new employment. Recent studies in Florida and Pennsylvania show that every dollar invested in libraries shows as much as a $6 return to the local economy. It is imperative that policy makers recognize libraries not only as sources of entertainment and research, but as a vital component to economic recovery.