Support your Local Library

This post started out as an ode to the library, but due to recent events, it has turned into a completely different creature.

Recently, Forbes published an article by economist Panos Mourdoukoutas with the title "Amazon Should Replace Local Libraries to Save Taxpayers Money."

I'm not going to lie, my head about exploded.

Screenshot of the (inactive) article link from my Facebook page.

I didn't believe it at first. I thought it was one of those satirical pieces that people write that expound on the virtues of the thing they are "against."

I was wrong.

In it, Mourdoukoutas claimed that libraries no longer serve the community like they used to, basically, they cost more than they are worth. He said that people can just as easily go to Starbucks for their wifi and human contact, use Netflix and other streaming services for their movies, and go straight to Amazon for their books. Mourdoukoutas also said that physical books are a thing of the past and there is no need for libraries' borrowing services since everybody just downloads e-books.

He is wrong for a few reasons:

1) Physical book sales are steady and are actually up from a few years ago when e-books first became popular.

2) You have to buy something from Starbucks to hang out there (it's rude otherwise and you might get the cops called on you).

3) Streaming services cost money as does getting books from Amazon.

What Mr. Mourdoukoutas fails to realize is, that libraries offer more than just books, movies, and wifi (all for free, I might add, which is very beneficial to low-income families, poor college students, and anybody living paycheck-to-paycheck). They offer classes on taxes, computers, languages, writing, crafts, music, and the list goes on; summer reading programs to encourage literacy in all ages, author readings/signings, local art/historical artifact exhibits, musicians, book clubs, stuffed animal slumber parties, pub quizzes, historical documents, genealogy services, and are usually staffed by some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

The article has since been removed from Forbes' site because of the backlash they received and they have issued a statement saying,

Forbes advocates spirited dialogue on a range of topics, including those that often take a contrarian view. Libraries play an important role in our society. This article was outside of this contributor's specific area of expertise, and has since been removed.(Quartz, downloaded 7/24/2018)

While I am happy Forbes removed the article and ecstatic that so many people jumped to the defense of libraries, what does this mean for our society? That a influential magazine like Forbes would publish something claiming that something as important as libraries mean nothing in our modern communities, op-ed piece or not.

As a taxpayer, I am 100% okay with that tiny percent of my taxes going to libraries. If I can help keep the doors open and the lights on so that single-income parent with a family of bookworms can check out the entire Berenstain Bear collection or new additions to the community can take ESL classes, I am more than happy to do it.

Why are we a society obsessed with things that will make money? Encouraging kids to get into STEM subjects is fantastic, but don't shame the kids who would rather dance, sing, write, read, draw, etc. because those things won't make them money.

Just because things "don't make money" doesn't mean they are without value.

I snagged this off of author and fellow Nebraska Writers Guild member,
Sarah Buhrman's Facebook page. It's been floating around the internet
for a few days. Thank you Denise Ivanoff for putting it into words.

First, they came after our national parks. Next they came after our arts and humanities. They try to come after our libraries again and there will be hell to pay.

#HufflepuffsUnite #RavenclawsCanComeToo