Do you support the existence of public libraries?

If you don't, can you please provide an explanation why beyond the standard libertarian/Rothbardian eye-roll inducing twaddle?

 

Land based libraries are virtually obsolete. Almost all the text and images in these libraries is past copyright and could be available online.

 

And yet physical libraries still exist (many have become media centers) and librarians are still needed by businesses, universities and other kinds of organizations. Why is this?

 

If your library is funded strictly by voluntary donations and/or direct fees charged to those actually using the library, I have ZERO objections.
If your library is funded by taxes I'm required by law to pay, I object.

Notice I object to the method of funding your library, not to the library itself.

Judge for yourself if that qualifies as libertarian/Rothbardian eye-roll inducing twaddle.

 

Why? For the same reason we still have so many land based universities. There is money in it.

 

Yes, definitely. You effectively oppose the existence of every tax-funded municipal library in the country. And then there are also the numerous university and academic research libraries which receive government funds; I'm sure those can go get buzzsawed in Libertopia.

Rothtard styled himself as a "polymath", but he's more accurately described as a master of none.

 

Well, they are almost obsolete, but I think that most people view a library as one of the things that local government should provide. It should be a local matter.

 

lol on 'eye-roll inducing twaddle'... nicely phrased

Text centered libraries are out of date, much like the post office and snail mail... however, libraries in many modern universities are less about text and more about research, finding answers, creating connections.

local libraries that feature high powered internet stations that connect large data bases of freely available information AND research experts would be useful to us all.

Information is power. libraries SHOULD stay in our communities, but racks of books simply don't cut it anymore (of course there's nothing like curling up with real book for a while... a few racks of fiction books and children's books should always be available for check out)

 

Bookstacks are increasingly obsolete but many of these libraries (especially academic and research libraries) have remade themselves into modern media centers which pretty much serve the same purpose that libraries did a century ago. Librarians are going to continue to be needed in some capacity to help younger generations navigate and make sense of information resources and to help teach them rudimentary software skills in things like HTML5 which more and more employers are seeking.

 

See there you go. I object to funding the library without my consent. You frame that as opposing libraries as such. That's a straw man. I take it you think these public libraries have no choice but to be funded with tax money and would, in fact, disappear if they tried the voluntary donation or fee for service method as a substitute and that's a shame. There is this sense that you resent anyone's freedom of choice in the matter.

 

If it gives you any comfort, it seems like there are many, many more people with your opinion than there with mine, and you will probably win out in the end. But unless a library is literally serving no one at all, the practical effect of closing down thousands of municipal and research libraries across the country is going to be a less educated populace with fewer chances at economic mobility.

 

Technology has rendered libraries irrelevant. Maybe you're completely oblivious, but we got this little thing called the Internet, have you heard of it before?

 

I made my position clear. I support changing the method by which libraries are paid for. That's not the same as shutting them down which is the straw man you erected.

 

"Technology has rendered libraries irrelevant"

Clearly this is a load of libertarian twaddle, as libraries still exist and have turned themselves into media centers. Bookstacks may be increasingly irrelevant for the masses; desks with computers are not. And librarians are and have always been needed to help turn the information-illiterate and technology-illiterate masses into something resembling employable human beings.

"have you heard of it before?"

Sure, and plenty of professionals/researchers use Google and can do so on their own time without being at a library. However, many information service professionals, researchers, technologists and engineers go to the library anyway because libraries offer reference sources through free databases (not Google) which would cost you a lot of money as an individual to obtain. Libraries make these services available to patrons for no charge.

Anymore questions or myths that need to be busted?

 

I haven't been to a library since AL Gore invented the internet

 

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I do research a lot. Real, text based documents are absolute as they cannot be instantly altered or changed. Many old records have not been digitized. I will continue to promote the spending of tax dollars on local libraries.

 

I do not support the current concept of public libraries because it is not possible to provide this service equally across the nation. Additionally, assuming most of our information is now stored somewhere on the Internet, with immediate access, with the latest updates, this kind of makes 90% of a current library obsolete and inefficient. Other than a daily newspaper found in a library, in what possible way can a library for example provide all the information in the past few days about the Orlando shooting event? Or provide the proceedings and votes in Congress during the past few weeks? 90% or more of what we find in a library is 'reference' material created in the 'past'. In this case the question is how much of this reference material can be available via the Internet? Next question is what percentage of Americans have adequate access to the Internet? How can we assure 100% access to the Internet?

Can anyone define the purpose of a public library? Is it for kids? For seniors? For use 24/7? For use on Sunday's? Solely to provide reference material which cannot be accessed via the Internet? Supposedly there are about 119,000 libraries in the USA today. There are about 19,000 incorporated cities in the USA today. Math alone tells us we should have over six libraries in every city but we know this is not true. Each of the 19,000 libraries on average serves 16,800 Americans which is also not true so many Americans don't have access.

It's not an easy paradigm shift but IMO it is past time to move from 'reference' centers to other forms of immediate information access...

 

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Consider that electronically stored information needs power to access such knowledge. Libraries don't. The printed word could conceivably outlast digitized information.

 

Well yes, most reference sources these days are online. But they cost money to maintain and access for the public, which is why library databases are valuable/useful. Your point about the Internet would be more well-taken if Internet was something that is in the home of literally (almost) every American. In many places (mostly rural areas where one ISP is dominant) Internet remains a luxury, so having a public library with wifi access is going to be a key to economic mobility in those areas.

 

So I'm guessing due to your violent philosophical opposition to libraries (which is pretty funny for anyone following this thread, quite honestly), your daughter has never had or interacted with a school or public librarian, correct?

Everyone is laughing at you, you know. I'm increasingly convinced that is the existential purpose of libertarians; to be laughed at and mocked mercilessly.

 

More Lolz,

The US has nearly 300 million internet users.

 

"You nut job crazy flat earther!"

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Which is 84% of the population, not 100%. Do they not teach basic arithmetic at Mises University?

You are doing a great job at embarrassing libertarians, BTW.

 

Of course not. Repositories and clearinghouses for knowlege are far too important to be left to the random devices of the internet.

 

If a local population wants to fund a library just like funding a school then I have no problem with it. Only if the federal government gets involved would I be concerned since it is none of their affair. As a libertarian I am not against government and taxes I am against unnecessary or overreaching government and waste.

 

That trend is only going to continue. Sucks that you're not smart enough to realize inevitability.
Better start looking for a job now, little guy. Hey, we always need crazy people on street comers preaching about how the earth is flat, and the evils of "violent opposition" to libraries, and other sorts of lunacy!!!

Hahahaha!!!!