Article: Restore the Noble Purpose of Libraries

[WTMCassandra]

A rant after my own heart!

 

Link here

[Mabeline]

Amen! It's bad enough that I have to drag my kids away from the dvd section (we hardly ever watch the dvd they check out) and computer games wall (almost never play) and the toys (these are allowed after picking out books) and find books but I fear that as they get older they will be drawn to the library for the fun and games and not so much for the books. Although my oldest one loves books so much he wants to own a library with a whole second floor for kids books.

[Snickerdoodle]

Thank you.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

A rant after my own heart!

 

Link here

 

I had a run in at the library last week with a teen boy who was popping his head into the ladies room to chat with the girls there. First he did it to me, then to the group of girls.

 

When I told him to stay out of the ladies bathroom, he pulled out a sack full of attitude, insisting that he had every right to talk to the girls there. I was honestly more than a little stunned at his total lack of shame at being called to account by an adult. (Which will show you how poorly socialized I am).

 

To be honest, I regret not telling the librarians to call security on him. If he was willing to make a fool of himself, I should have let him reap the consequences.

 

After he and the girls camped out in a corner of the library (on the floor) blowing up balloons and letting them whiz around the stacks I had enough. I asked one of the desk clerks to go and check on what was going on and my kids and I left. In my experience, the high number of uncontrolled children and teens in libraries has turned them into a non-supervised, free day care solution, rather than a place of study and relaxation.

[yslek]

Thanks. I sent a copy of the article to my mom, who used to work in the library system.

[FairProspects]

That was awesome! I was horrified the other day at the check-out desk when I was reading the posted list of "approved" activities that counted towards library reading/writing minutes for summer prizes. Among the choices were:

 

1. Writing text messages

 

and

 

2. Reading a cereal box

 

If we set our reading & writing standards much lower, we may not even have drivers who can read stop signs!

[WTMCassandra]

That was awesome! I was horrified the other day at the check-out desk when I was reading the posted list of "approved" activities that counted towards library reading/writing minutes for summer prizes. Among the choices were:

 

1. Writing text messages

 

and

 

2. Reading a cereal box

 

If we set our reading & writing standards much lower, we may not even have drivers who can read stop signs!

 

Oh. My. Goodness.

 

That IS low.

 

I'm truly appalled.

[gardening momma]

That was awesome! I was horrified the other day at the check-out desk when I was reading the posted list of "approved" activities that counted towards library reading/writing minutes for summer prizes. Among the choices were:

 

1. Writing text messages

 

and

 

2. Reading a cereal box

 

If we set our reading & writing standards much lower, we may not even have drivers who can read stop signs!

I used to read every word on every side of cereal boxes while eating my breakfast before leaving for school. But I wasn't doing it for a prize. I was bored.:tongue_smilie: I doubt a kid who's reading it for a summer reading program will read the entire box.

[lori in tx]

That was awesome! I was horrified the other day at the check-out desk when I was reading the posted list of "approved" activities that counted towards library reading/writing minutes for summer prizes. Among the choices were:

 

1. Writing text messages

 

and

 

2. Reading a cereal box

 

If we set our reading & writing standards much lower, we may not even have drivers who can read stop signs!

 

OK that truly is bad.... really really bad. I remember going to the library when there was no summer reading program and I went GASP just for the joy of checking out library book :001_smile:

[JFSinIL]

i must be lucky indeed to have a great library that successfully also serves as the community center. Upstairs are quiet study rooms, periodicals, fiction and non-fiction. teen books (off in one corner), Spanish lit., a large reading room with a fireplace overlooking the Fox River, and reference. It is all a library should be. First floor has little kid room, youth room, computer section, media section, a cafe near the entrance, more meeting rooms - and it is a lively, hopping place. It is a block away from our Rec. Center - which is only free on the running/walking track, everything else is for members only...and the city has yet to come out of the red on the place. Solution - why, keep RAISING membership fees to raise money (in this financial period? In a city with a large lower income population?).

For more folks in Elgin, IL, the library is a great source of free entertainment. If the local public library were only books and periodicals, I doubt folks here would have voted YES on the referendum that got this new library built three years or so ago.

http://www.gailborden.info/m/

 

Here is a video of the library http://www.gailborden.info/videoextras/videoextrasGailBordenServicesFeatures.html

Edited July 20, 2009 by JFSinIL

[TravelingChris]

I use two library systems. They are all packed with people. Yes, there are people on the computers but there are also lots of people reading, learning (lots of tutoring seems to be going on), and looking for materials. Neither reading program lets anyone do anything except read books for the level my children are- teens. And it can't do with the stress level of the community because while this area is a very competitive places to live, the area I was living in last year was much more laid back and also had reading only logs. I love having DVDs. I read lots of books but I also like to watch movies and tv shows. My dh is steadily going through all the Shakespeare plays on DVD. Is that not educational? My middle is checking out classical choir selections on CD so she can practice singing. All of us check out books but so do lots of other patrons. Yes, there are graphic novel readers. Yes, there are children goofing off. But overall, I am happy that the library is being used and so far, in the areas I have lived in these last six years, books are still important.

[Orthodox6]

depressing

scary

thought-provoking,

prophetic

accurate

 

 

We could run a contest for best descriptor resulting from reading this article.

 

There has to be a balance between this "dumbed-down chaos for the masses" role of libraries, and the "knowledge is for the privileged elite" role, elements of which still cling to venerable libraries such as Bodleian.

 

Antonia

(the glasses-wearing, book-collecting, former librarian)

[KristenS]

No such thing as a former librarian. It stays in the blood. :)

 

Kristen

the formerly employed as a librarian, who still is one at home :)

[BMW]

I have had the opposite problems... I took my children to two different libraries... and the experience was the same both places... The library was quite policed by the employees and children were NOT to be heard. Now, my children are generally very well behaved and I can do just about anything, go anywhere with them... I tell them what I expect and they behave. Both of these libraries had children's sections. My children were not loud or mischeivous. We were watched constantly. I had a librarian approach me and ask that a child not sit somewhere... I don't know if it was a window seat or a small end table between two chairs or what... but, we were friendly, polite and wanting to get books and enjoy having a library to go to and these were so unfriendly and guarded we just didn't go back. And we moved.

 

I am happy to say that the library that we do use now has a children's section and very friendly librarians... it is small, though... and, actually, my children are not little anymore, so we don't need a children's section to enjoy...

[i.love.lucy]

I love our local library. :001_wub:It's suburban and not connected to the close larger city one. We can join that one, and probably will, but our local one is so good, and has SO many of the books we want for quality reading it has not been an issue yet. I actually find the childrens section much better stocked than the adult.

 

The computers are out in the COMPLETE open and you pass by them all on the way to the kids section. I don't know the policy on viewing certain material on them (a la that previous thread) but I simply cannot imagine it. Most people look like they are updating their resumes.

 

Both kids and teens have their own sections with closed doors so noise is not an issue, and every time I pass by the teen area there are teens in there *gasp* reading!:tongue_smilie:

 

My kids and I love "library day" and I hope I am instilling in them a healthy respect for it, and that it is to be used and enjoyed.

[chiguirre]

We have a library like JFS. It's packed, especially in the summer. There is almost always tutoring going on and the computers are always busy. We don't really hang out there because I can pre-order our stuff and have it ready to go, but the kids do like to pick out one book and one dvd each. Their taste isn't always the finest, but that's why I pre-order the books I want them to have access to.

 

Our library is popular and is even getting a new building because of the overflow crowd it generates. People may use it more for dvds and audiobooks, but since I like having access to them without having to buy them, I don't personally mind. It's been an invaluable resource for our hs and judging by how many hsers' names I see on our reserve shelves, I'm not alone.

[elizabeth]

"You cannot defend what you do not know. And you cannot know what you do not love. "

 

I loved this portion of the article in particular. It resonates with me in terms of trying to discuss not only home education but that of a classical bent in particular. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article. I copied it and it is going on the refrigerator for discussion at the dinner table . It has been a good way to get our small family talking about issues /topics that might otherwise not naturally arise while eating dinner. Our local library is a wonderful place with many strong personalities in its employ . I really do treasure our librarians as our city is relatively small (150,000) and they really do so many things for our community . I mean the whole community not just those populations that are easy to serve. We have book clubs, teen game day, speed chess , job hunting and resume classes, the list is endless. We have a school for the hearing impaired that is nationally known that also utilize the library for many activities germane to their specific goals . I cannot tell you how wonderful the staff has been in terms of inclusive activities that permit all the young people to participate regardless of physical or mental conditions that some might find prohibitive to enjoying many activities.

There are several group homes nearby for mentally ill adults and they have always been welcome to utilize the resources in whatever manner they are able so long as they are not disruptive. For some that means wandering the stacks endlessly ,for others it might mean just resting in a chair for an hour to be "out" in the world. For some that are able it means borrowing a book( or 80 manga books in one day,no kidding) to read . It is a wonderful place and a microcosm of our little city but those who are vulnerable are always safe within its walls. Many policies are in place particularly tomake it a safe and welcoming environment for the whole community not just the parts of it that look good on a grant proposal... I do think it all starts at the top, if leadership and vision are present good things follow. If not ,well ,it becomes a center for the jack of all trades and master of none.

[Orthodox6]

Andrew Carnegie would be so proud of this kind of library ! Thank you for telling us about this one.

 

"You cannot defend what you do not know. And you cannot know what you do not love. "

 

I loved this portion of the article in particular. It resonates with me in terms of trying to discuss not only home education but that of a classical bent in particular. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article. I copied it and it is going on the refrigerator for discussion at the dinner table . It has been a good way to get our small family talking about issues /topics that might otherwise not naturally arise while eating dinner. Our local library is a wonderful place with many strong personalities in its employ . I really do treasure our librarians as our city is relatively small (150,000) and they really do so many things for our community . I mean the whole community not just those populations that are easy to serve. We have book clubs, teen game day, speed chess , job hunting and resume classes, the list is endless. We have a school for the hearing impaired that is nationally known that also utilize the library for many activities germane to their specific goals . I cannot tell you how wonderful the staff has been in terms of inclusive activities that permit all the young people to participate regardless of physical or mental conditions that some might find prohibitive to enjoying many activities.

There are several group homes nearby for mentally ill adults and they have always been welcome to utilize the resources in whatever manner they are able so long as they are not disruptive. For some that means wandering the stacks endlessly ,for others it might mean just resting in a chair for an hour to be "out" in the world. For some that are able it means borrowing a book( or 80 manga books in one day,no kidding) to read . It is a wonderful place and a microcosm of our little city but those who are vulnerable are always safe within its walls. Many policies are in place particularly tomake it a safe and welcoming environment for the whole community not just the parts of it that look good on a grant proposal... I do think it all starts at the top, if leadership and vision are present good things follow. If not ,well ,it becomes a center for the jack of all trades and master of none.

[kalanamak]

Andrew Carnegie would be so proud of this kind of library ! Thank you for telling us about this one.

 

I loooooooove Carnegie libraries, and poke my nose into everyone one I can find. Some are city offices, some are restaurants, I even know one that became a furniture store. I looooooooove them. One of my very first memories was sitting on the wooden floor at the foot of my mother and a seemingly-20 foot set of shelves, clumsily flipping through The Outside Cat (Jane Thayer) and my mother bending over and pointing out an ancient, white-haired man and telling me he was the doctor who delivered me.

 

I'm betting the shelves were only 10 feet and he was no older than 70.

 

If I were as rich as Andrew, I'd make "reading rooms" in strip malls all over America....places of actual books and comfy chairs, and quiet. And school libraries in less fortunate parts of the world.

[stripe]

I have found the attitude of many library-going adults to be quiet sour, and particularly anti-child and anti-teen. (Apparently it would be better if the teens were out shooting each other rather than setting foot in the library.) I think reasonable standards of volume should apply, but I don't see any reason to go back to the days where librarians wore tight buns and shhed everyone. Cold, silent chambers remind me more of a morgue than a library.

 

People who complain that the term "information scientist" is an attempt to sex-up librarianship are old and grumpy, as far as I am concerned. If people think that all a librarian does is change the printers' toner cartridges, then the librarians aren't doing a very good job of explaining what a library is. Those type of librarians are making themselves obsolete. Librarianship is not about whether you wear high heels or orthopedic shoes; it's about being helpful and encouraging the pursuit of knowledge, which is not the same as only stocking a few select classics.

 

Exuberant children should be welcomed at the library. My children adore going to the library, and I'd like to keep it that way. They shouldn't be locked away at home, let out only once they've become lifeless adults who sniff at others. I am glad my library system sees things the same way.

[lulubelle]

Interesting article. Many parents around my area let the nanny's bring their children to the library. And, a friend of mine didn't realize there was a non-fiction section for kids in the library. Kids wait to get their library cards in their Kindergarten class trip to the library and parents don't realize that a kid can get a card when they turn 5! I was telling my kids when they were 4 how exciting 5 would be - to get a library card! I think the library is going by way of all the other classical institutions, down the drain. Can it be saved? I'm not sure. It may take another 100 years to get out of it.

[LibraryLover]

I love my local libraries and my local librarians. I's a treat to visit. I can get any book or movie or local museum pass I need. It's like Christmas morning when I was 8. We have a free and amazing ILL system, great children's programming (where maybe they read Scooby Doo or Sponge Bob, I'm not sure. I do know that story hour is packed, and I try not to checkout when it's ending because the line is loooong).

 

I use the big city library a lot, and it's wonderful. There are noises, lots of kids, DVDs , locals chatting, people at the computers, crafts, etc. The other day a homeless man had a seizure in the main lobby. I was moved by how quickly everyone responded and how quickly the ambulance arrived.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

No such thing as a former librarian. It stays in the blood. :)

 

Kristen

the formerly employed as a librarian, who still is one at home :)

 

So very, very true!!!

 

I have found the attitude of many library-going adults to be quiet sour, and particularly anti-child and anti-teen. (Apparently it would be better if the teens were out shooting each other rather than setting foot in the library.) I think reasonable standards of volume should apply, but I don't see any reason to go back to the days where librarians wore tight buns and shhed everyone. Cold, silent chambers remind me more of a morgue than a library.

 

People who complain that the term "information scientist" is an attempt to sex-up librarianship are old and grumpy, as far as I am concerned. If people think that all a librarian does is change the printers' toner cartridges, then the librarians aren't doing a very good job of explaining what a library is. Those type of librarians are making themselves obsolete. Librarianship is not about whether you wear high heels or orthopedic shoes; it's about being helpful and encouraging the pursuit of knowledge, which is not the same as only stocking a few select classics.

 

Exuberant children should be welcomed at the library. My children adore going to the library, and I'd like to keep it that way. They shouldn't be locked away at home, let out only once they've become lifeless adults who sniff at others. I am glad my library system sees things the same way.

 

There is a difference between providing information and assisting in the pursuit of knowledge. Librarians need to be able to do both, equally, as part of their profession. And yes, most people have absolutely no idea what it takes to become a librarian or how a librarian can help a patron. To the general public they are just technicians who check books out and log patrons onto the internet. It is one of the most unrespected professions going-despite the years of advanced education and skills these individuals possess.

 

There has been a disturbing trend towards teenagers and children treating the library like a community center rather than the venerable institution that it is. The children's reading/craft hour is a time for kids to be a little noisier but having a pack of youth being noisy and disrupting things is just rude. Since when have good manners and appropriate behavior become old fashioned? Libraries aren't playgrounds or video arcades-they are places for study, reflection, and work. Not to mention the hours of pleasure gained from just sitting and reading. In many communities they are located next to the playground for a reason.

[Desert Rat]

I will count myself as lucky. The local libraries (we use 3 different branches) are well organized. The computer banks are on one side of the library with the the periodicals and stacks seperating it from where people can sit and read. The children's sections are well stocked with a variety of books and the librarians are all very sweet and kind to children. They do carry DVDs but we don't utilize this service much because they are due in 7 days and I can never get back in time.

Recently our libraries have updated their check in/out process. To check in your own books-put them on a conveyor belt one at a time. When you're finished print out your receipt. To check out-put 4 books on a plexi-screen and it scans all 4 at a time. What genius! It's awesome when you have 50 books at a time to check out.

Our libraries even have art galleries where local art is diplayed beautifully.

I'll be sure to be grateful from when I go to our library after reading that article!

[Orthodox6]

/

Edited July 24, 2009 by Orthodox6

[stripe]

I found the article to be absurd. What's with all his sex analogies?

 

The author said

My once gentle profession has prostituted itself, aided by library schools, which, embarrassed even to call their graduates "librarians," now opt for the sexier term "information scientists."

I am glad to go to a library where children are welcome and where it's lively (not loud but lively). I don't consider caring about the public to be prostitution. I don't consider any noise above a whisper to be counter to scholarship.

 

And I too am a librarian.

[stripe]

And by the way, if the general public can't tell the difference between a librarian and a computer tech, whose fault is that? Does anyone confuse a Little League pitcher with one from the Major leagues? Does anyone confuse Taco Bell with haute cuisine? I think not.

 

Futher, all the studies of patron satisfaction that I studied, show that librarians are at best meeting the information needs of the patrons 50% of the time. So maybe there's a reason librarians and libraries aren't getting respect: because they aren't earning it.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

And by the way, if the general public can't tell the difference between a librarian and a computer tech, whose fault is that? Does anyone confuse a Little League pitcher with one from the Major leagues? Does anyone confuse Taco Bell with haute cuisine? I think not.

 

Further, all the studies of patron satisfaction that I studied, show that librarians are at best meeting the information needs of the patrons 50% of the time. So maybe there's a reason librarians and libraries aren't getting respect: because they aren't earning it.

 

 

Of course that is predicated on the patron having adequately expressed their needs in the first place so...studies like that are a vicious circle. Best used by librarians to find out the areas they need to focus on improving not as a job performance evaluation.

 

One of the differences is that the public cares about the difference between pitchers and cuisine. They don't care about the abilities of the librarians until crunch time hits and often they still don't head to the library or ask for assistance if or when they arrive. The public view librarians as the bookish equivalent of a car repair guy. They have a specific, technical task to perform and that is all they are good for. The training and education and further skills/knowledge needed or possessed by either individual is inconsequential as long as the person receives the service requested.

 

Being a librarian can be a thankless job. They are often under appreciated, mocked, and abused. Even seen the abuse heaped on the poor person who has to deal with late fines or lost/damaged material.

 

For all of you who do not behave as described above: kudos to you and your local librarian appreciates you too.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I have been brewing a letter for my library that has gotten a new director and gone down this path....we all hate it. Our city spent a fortune on a new library and now, it's not a new library, it's a Media Center.

 

My son, who LOVES books, reading always enjoyed the library told me he didn't want to go anymore b/c it was like Romper Room. I wanted to cry.

 

This has given me the perfect attachment for my letter!

[WTMCassandra]

I'm glad it was helpful to you. Our own library seems to confuse circulation rates with how many people they get to walk in the door, whether they just check out DVDs, surf MySpace, and play video games.

 

I wish they would at least provide a reading room for we Luddites who would actually like to READ in peace and quiet at the library. A small, glassed-in quiet room. Sigh.

[linders]

The article is right on, and makes me sad. I loved the feel of our library growing up - hushed voices, the soft crinkle of pages turning. If you wore hard-soled shoes, you tried to step gently so they didn't make too much noise.

 

I've tried to teach my boys that libraries are "quiet places" but it is hard when most of the people there are talking loudly and playing computer games with all their beeps and buzzes.

[Mommy22alyns]

That was awesome! I was horrified the other day at the check-out desk when I was reading the posted list of "approved" activities that counted towards library reading/writing minutes for summer prizes. Among the choices were:

 

1. Writing text messages

 

and

 

2. Reading a cereal box

 

If we set our reading & writing standards much lower, we may not even have drivers who can read stop signs!

 

 

 

:001_huh: Holy cow. I don't even have any words...

 

 

Thanks for sharing the article, OP.

[tricia]

:iagree:

[Happy2BaMom]

Text below (I recommend skimming due to the length):

 

"I am writing to express my frustration over the placement of a computer loaded with children’s games in the children’s library area, and to communicate my distress that I can no consider the library my ally in developing a love of literature in my children.

I have taken my children to the library at least twice a month since the oldest – now six -was a toddler. We have lived all over the country due to my husband’s naval career, and they have been to the library every place we have lived. It has always been a positive experience. They love going to the library and selecting new books to take home.

We moved here three months ago and began going to the library almost immediately. Unfortunately, the experience here is vastly different. My children immediately gravitate to the computer and no longer have an interest in looking at the books. Often while I am there several unrelated children – none of whom seem interested in books either - are gathered at the computer and inevitably some sort of squabble erupts among them about the computer, creating noise and necessitating adult intervention.

To counteract these occurrences, I set rules for my children, such as their need to find three books before they go the computer. This has helped the situation, but the library has become a place where I spend my energy enforcing rules rather than a haven where we relax and enjoy books together. (Just as a side note, my children do have limited TV and computer time every day, so the library is not their only outlet for screen time.)

I find the decision to place a computer with games – even literacy games - in the children’s book corner a peculiar one. It is infinitely easier for children to look at moving images on a screen. It requires less brain work than the process to read and digest words and absorb ideas from literature. Habits formed at such a young age are harder to reform at a later time. I’m sure you are well aware of the number of studies which document both the decline in the average person’s amount of reading and their skills in proficiency.*

I understand the library adding computer skills to its list of ways to serve its patrons; I do not understand this goal trumping the many other goals the library has for children. Because of the more passive and entertaining nature of computer games, the options of their usage should not be side-by-side, and hence in competition with, the opportunity for children to explore books.

A possible solution might be to have set day(s) and/or time(s) when the computer is kept off. That way those of us who wish to have our children use the library for the books can come at those times.

For now, I have stopped bringing my children to the library. I pick up any desired books when I am running errands alone. I hope a solution can be found so that we can return to the library. Until then, you can find me frequenting used book stores with my children, discovering the joy of books together, since the library has been turned into (in the words of my son) “the place where they have the Clifford game on the computer.â€

* An excellent article summarizing several studies is “Twilight of the Books: What Will Life be Like if People Stop Reading†by Caleb Crain of The New Yorker. 12/24/2007. It is accessible online via Google or Yahoo!."

 

 

I sent it to my rep on the library's Board of Directors. I received a call from a librarian a week later. She sympathized with me, but basically stated that the games were helping children from struggling families learn to read and that they were necessary (of course, she didn't mention that many of these same children quit reading in the 4th grade...that's just another statistic). The computers remain, in the same place. We only visit long enough now to pick up books I have on hold.

 

Yes, I know other people believe all the new media at libraries is wonderful. For us, the experience has been a loss.

 

Thanks for posting the article. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

[mcconnellboys]

Here, here!