Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google. Amien Essif. AlterNet. May 23, 2015.
This article is in response to the book BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google. Of all the public and private institutions we have, the public library is the
truest democratic space. The library’s value is obvious. A
Gallup survey found that libraries are not just popular, they are extremely popular. "Over 90% of Americans feel that
libraries are a vital part of their communities, compared to
53% for the police, 27% for public schools, and 7% for Congress. This is perhaps the greatest success
of the public sector."
Yet, a government report showed that while the nation’s public
libraries served 298 million people in 2010 (96% of the
U.S. population) funding has been cut drastically. “It seems extraordinary
that a public service with such reach should be, in effect, punished
despite its success.” Libraries are becoming more important, not less, to our communities and our democracy.
About 90% of all
existing data is less than two years old. Much of the information could be moderated for the public
good, and libraries are able to do that. However, tech companies have put themselves into this role; "the risk of a small number
of technically savvy, for-profit companies determining the bulk of what
we read and how we read it is enormous."
Libraries are at risk because politicians are moving away from the public good, "favoring private
enterprise and making conditions ripe for a
Google-Apple-Amazon-Facebook oligopoly on information."
"It’s not
too much of a stretch to say that the fate of well-informed, open, free
republics could hinge on the future of libraries.”
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