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Public libraries have it hard. For having to fight for their budgets, including having to explain why there are computers in the library and why they need new ones after 7 years, to having to fight for the books within the library when people want to have them removed from the shelves because they don't agree with the content.
Then there are the other services that the library provides for the community. This includes the public meeting space in most libraries. This space is used by the local government to hold public meetings, various book clubs that meet, various local clubs (I know at least 15 doll clubs that meet at various libraries all over the US), programs sponsored by the library, programs sponsored by local schools which they use the library as part of their outreach programs, and various local groups.
Recently the Supreme Court decided not to hear a case about a religious group that wanted to meet at a library for worship services. The group would have paid a fee for the use of the space but the library shut them out after one session because it was against a local county policy that had been on the books for a while that prohibited the use of libraries for religious services. Now there have been various religious groups that have met at that library but none of them were worship services so they fell under free speech and were OK. I know of a non-denominational (but mainly Christian) prayer group that meets at our local library. There is also a Pagan discussion group once a month allowed in the same room. In a library a couple of towns over there is a Muslim group that meets at the library. None of these groups are worshiping per say but it is not to say they don't do religious things when they meet. It is sort of a fuzzy line if you ask me. My bet was that the group renting were not clear on what they were doing or planned to do and once they had one meeting, the library saw what they were doing and felt it crossed the line between discussion/expression of religion to turning the space into a worship hall. Probably the library was the cheapest game in town for this group.
I know a number of librarians including a group that bowls together as a team. They work very hard for the local community and try to be all things to all people. I talked to the bowling team about this case. They said that their libraries would have probably done the same thing after the first meeting. They also speculated as to what the group did to the room or the condition they left the room and the parking lot in. There is a very fine line that they have to tread because the library is supported by public money (taxes). One person objecting and making a lot of noise can cause them all kinds of problems and have to give length explanations to the community at large. The computer issue was a fine example of that. The computers they had were about to hit 7 years and didn't work well on the Internet. The county system was about to upgrade the libraries to dedicated Internet lines which the computers just couldn't handle. So they had new computers on the budget line which was a rather hefty number because they wanted to get current technology so they wouldn't have to get computers for a while. A couple of people, who really don't get why there are computers in the library in the first place (Libraries are for books only dammit well and maybe the audio books and CDs and possibly video tapes and DVDs on a long shot) took this up as their cause and campaigned against the budget which failed by a narrow margin. It took another year and a lot of push by the library and the librarians to prove to the township as a whole why they needed that budget. The sneaky was that they would tell parents who wanted their kids to use the Internet to find stuff for projects to go a township over and use their new computers because (and this was true) the print interface was touch and go at best at that library. Word got around about how much nicer the computer system was at the other township and how much easier it was to use. Budget passed and the computers were installed.
It is a tricky thing trying to be all things to all people and I applaud all the people I know involved in the library system for working so hard to accommodate the general population that they serve. They have a difficult job to do. Public libraries are a gift to their communities and I think those communities should thank their local librarian.
I am grateful to all those people who work in libraries.
Then there are the other services that the library provides for the community. This includes the public meeting space in most libraries. This space is used by the local government to hold public meetings, various book clubs that meet, various local clubs (I know at least 15 doll clubs that meet at various libraries all over the US), programs sponsored by the library, programs sponsored by local schools which they use the library as part of their outreach programs, and various local groups.
Recently the Supreme Court decided not to hear a case about a religious group that wanted to meet at a library for worship services. The group would have paid a fee for the use of the space but the library shut them out after one session because it was against a local county policy that had been on the books for a while that prohibited the use of libraries for religious services. Now there have been various religious groups that have met at that library but none of them were worship services so they fell under free speech and were OK. I know of a non-denominational (but mainly Christian) prayer group that meets at our local library. There is also a Pagan discussion group once a month allowed in the same room. In a library a couple of towns over there is a Muslim group that meets at the library. None of these groups are worshiping per say but it is not to say they don't do religious things when they meet. It is sort of a fuzzy line if you ask me. My bet was that the group renting were not clear on what they were doing or planned to do and once they had one meeting, the library saw what they were doing and felt it crossed the line between discussion/expression of religion to turning the space into a worship hall. Probably the library was the cheapest game in town for this group.
I know a number of librarians including a group that bowls together as a team. They work very hard for the local community and try to be all things to all people. I talked to the bowling team about this case. They said that their libraries would have probably done the same thing after the first meeting. They also speculated as to what the group did to the room or the condition they left the room and the parking lot in. There is a very fine line that they have to tread because the library is supported by public money (taxes). One person objecting and making a lot of noise can cause them all kinds of problems and have to give length explanations to the community at large. The computer issue was a fine example of that. The computers they had were about to hit 7 years and didn't work well on the Internet. The county system was about to upgrade the libraries to dedicated Internet lines which the computers just couldn't handle. So they had new computers on the budget line which was a rather hefty number because they wanted to get current technology so they wouldn't have to get computers for a while. A couple of people, who really don't get why there are computers in the library in the first place (Libraries are for books only dammit well and maybe the audio books and CDs and possibly video tapes and DVDs on a long shot) took this up as their cause and campaigned against the budget which failed by a narrow margin. It took another year and a lot of push by the library and the librarians to prove to the township as a whole why they needed that budget. The sneaky was that they would tell parents who wanted their kids to use the Internet to find stuff for projects to go a township over and use their new computers because (and this was true) the print interface was touch and go at best at that library. Word got around about how much nicer the computer system was at the other township and how much easier it was to use. Budget passed and the computers were installed.
It is a tricky thing trying to be all things to all people and I applaud all the people I know involved in the library system for working so hard to accommodate the general population that they serve. They have a difficult job to do. Public libraries are a gift to their communities and I think those communities should thank their local librarian.
I am grateful to all those people who work in libraries.
