National Library Week, 4/7 - 4/13

Normally it's at the end of the month, this year, the middle.  Personally I think it should be the entire month.

-- "Libraries are rooted in the community and here your story can grow," Wilmington News-Journal.  From the article:

Libraries and librarians play such a crucial role in the well-being of our communities, and the Delaware public libraries are no exception. We are not a disparate collection of books,: Today’s libraries function as vibrant community centers that contribute to the social, cultural, and educational fabric of our neighborhoods, enriching the lives of young and old. 

Libraries help our communities face the rising challenges of the modern world, such as isolation, disparity and misinformation. The services they provide and the programs they deliver are aimed at connection, compassion, truth, and equity because our mission is rooted in the needs of our community. 

Despite the misguided perception that libraries are unnecessary, evidence continues to support what those of us in the library community have known for a long time: libraries benefit us all.

The four biggest issues these days are:

1.  Campaigns all across the US, in conservative areas, to ban books. It's mostly in the schools, but also in public libraries ("Why Americans must unite against the organized effort to ban library books," Nashville Tennessean, "History of Book Bans in the U.S.," National Geographic, "The Fight for the American Public Library: Library boards, school boards and legislatures are becoming battlegrounds in a push to censor books. Communities are fighting back.," Bloomberg, "Public libraries are the latest front in culture war battle over books," Washington Post, "Book ban attempts spiked in 2023, new research shows," Politico), "Book bans in US public schools increase by 28% in six months, Pen report finds," Guardian).

The Utah State Legislature proposes a statewide banning policy.  If a book is banned by three school systems, all have to pull it ("Bill that requires statewide removal of school library books deemed pornographic by 3 districts close to passage," Salt Lake Deseret News).

And state library agencies in conservative states are dropping their membership in the American Library Association ("Florida joins conservative states severing ties with national library group," Politico).

There has been some defunding and or attempts of libraries in Michigan and Missouri ("Missouri libraries dodge GOP funding strike — for now," Kansas City Beacon). And probably elsewhere.

Toronto Public Library has a display of books increasingly banned in the US.  

The Brooklyn Public Library will provide a library card to anyone in the US, to evade censorship bans.

In response to book banning efforts, the director of the Hoboken New Jersey Library made the entire city a "book sanctuary" ("Haters attacked an inclusive public library. So its director made the whole city a book sanctuary," LGBTQ Nation).

Obviously, it affects authors ("For John Green, the Battle Over Access to Books Has Gotten Personal," New York Times).

2.  Funding.  Besides punitive funding cuts in support of book banning, libraries always have to worry about funding.

For example, New York City, which has just opened up a bunch of new library facilities ("A Love Letter to Libraries, Long Overdue," New York Times) proposed budget cuts that could lead to weekend closures ("NYC Budget Would Close Libraries On Weekends While Police Get Huge Bonuses," Vice).   Though later the proposal was rescinded.

Polarization doesn't help ("In the land of self-defeat" and "I Am Being Pushed Out of One of the Last Public Squares, the Library," New York Times).

3.  Libraries as community hubs.  Both book bans and funding cuts (it is proposed that the Huntington Beach Library system outsource, "Huntington Beach considering privatizing library operations," Orange County Register) are tragic considering how libraries (and parks) are the primary civic assets in a community that are public facing (schools too, but only for those people who have families), and key "social infrastructure" elements ("Neighborhood libraries as nodes in a neighborhood and city-wide network of cultural assets").

For example, "Residents offered free health checks in libraries," BBC and "Creative library project underway in Wilmington to spur community and economic development," Wilmington News-Journal.

Library staff in SF hold a press conference and protest about understaffing.  Photo: Martin do Nascimento, KQED.

4.  Libraries as community hubs also can be a drawback.  Since they are really the only public -civic asset that is open for set hours, has staff, and restrooms, libraries can be inundated with dealing with civic problems like homelessness, violence ("'Not What I Signed Up For': SF Librarians Demand More Security Guards," KQED/PBS), drug use, and mental health ("Texas libraries work to bridge state’s mental health services gap," Texas Tribune) and mental illness.

Other developments.

1.  Nonprofit opens free bookstore.  Why not put such facilities in libraries ("Nonprofit Reading Ready Pittsburgh opens free bookstore in Homestead ," WESA/NPR).

2.  Daycare at the Park City, Utah Library.  Probably in rented space ("PC Tots invites all to ribbon cutting at Park City Library," Park Record).  The Drumbrae Library in Scotland includes a day care facility ("Work begins on Drumbrae's new library, day care centre and youth cafe," Guardian, 2011).

Libros Book Club.  Photo: Nate Martinez, Express-News.

3.  Independent readers lounge in San Antonio.  Indicates demand for longer hours, or special ways to meet the needs of other audiences, not unlike how university libraries stay open late ("Late-night readers lounge opens in San Antonio. Here's what we know," San Antonio Express-News).  Note that the central library in Montreal stays open til 10pm.

Also see "24-7 Library Spaces Drive Commuter Student Success," Inside Higher Education.

4.  World Book Day, March 7th.  I had no idea there is a World Book Day.  Studies in the UK find that few children read for pleasure ("World Book Day finds children are put off reading for pleasure: Annual event to encourage young readers has revealed research finding that significant numbers feel discouraged from following their own tastes," and "Almost a million children in the UK do not own a book," Guardian).

5.  Lots of libraries are under threat of closure in the UK because of the defunding of local government by the national Conservative government ("Battle to save Britain's libraries as budget cuts, closures and austerity leaves future uncertain," Big Issue, "Review finds libraries in England suffer ‘lack of recognition’ from government," Guardian).

I was reading an article about Reagan, transit and cities, and it was the first article that put the funding cuts under the title of "austerity" which has been the British Conservative Government's policy since 2010 of defunding local government and local services ("How austerity (and ideology) broke Britain," Guardian).

6.  Underfunding school libraries.  There was an article in the Post about Oxon Hill, Maryland ("In a Maryland school library, empty shelves are about to get emptier") although a letter to the editor ("A community can build Oxon Hill Elementary's library") suggested parents organize themselves.  That happened a number of years ago in DC ("The fight for school libraries in D.C.," Washington Examiner).  Also see "Cressida Cowell renews call for £100m investment in primary school libraries," Guardian and "D.C. Council Bill Seeks to Close Gap in Librarians and Literacy," City Paper.

In a political move the conservative state government in Texas took over the Houston Public Schools, and the hard ass new superintendent got rid of the libraries and remade them into discipline centers.

7.  US Literacy Crisis ("30 million adults are unable to read a simple story to their children, according to the National Literacy Institute," WEAR TV)).  From the article:

Addressing the U.S. literacy crisis: Study shows children, adults lack reading skills 30 million adults are unable to read a simple story to their children, according to the National Literacy Institute. This is a generational issue that can lead to other problems like high unemployment rates and even poor health. 

This is a generational issue that can lead to other problems like high unemployment rates and even poor health. In fact, statistics show one in three children entering kindergarten lack the basic skills they need to learn to read. And two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders do not read at grade level. 

"For a child who is struggling to read, to have an adult sit with them one-on-one and not just listen to them and make some corrections as they're reading but mainly to be their cheerleader while they're practicing -- that's huge," Pierce said. But learning how to read is only half the battle. Children have to continue to practice reading as they grow.

8.  Literary programs.  The LA Library system received a publishing outfit as a donation and will continue to publish books ("The L.A. Public Library is getting into book publishing. Why it makes total sense," Los Angeles Times) and Hugo House, a nonprofit in Seattle focused on literary arts is in financial distress ("Seattle’s Hugo House faces uncertain future," Seattle Times).

9.  Private library: Prelinger Library devoted to ephemera ("This San Francisco Library Collects Print Materials You Were Never Meant to See," KQED/PBS).  I figure that's where most of my ephemera will be donated too when I die, plus either Washingtonia Library or the Historical Sociey in DC and the Utah Historical Society.

10.  Oodi Library, the central library in Helsinki.  I've been meaning to write about this in a separate entry.  The ground floor is a cultural center.  At the cost of fewer books.

11.  Co-location.  I mentioned how the main library in Pocatello now has a pedestrianized street in front of it, and a park, including a playground, across the street.  The park has an amphitheater and is used for the Saturday Farmers Market.  

The Nottingham UK library has added a playground to its front "Children's play area opens outside Nottingham Central Library," BBC).

I've mentioned how the South Park Library in Seattle captured the street in front of it.

12.  The Boston Public Library has started a nutrition program headed by a chef, headquartered in the Roxbury branch ("'Boston Public Library’s new chef to lead cooking program in Roxbury'," CBS News).