Neil Gaiman on the value and future of libraries and reading

[thewayne]

Very good piece, two things in particular stood out. First, he attended a talk about the American private prison industry and that they projected their future growth and need for cells based on the literacy rate of 10 and 11 year olds. Wow. Second, that English town councils have been closing libraries to save money, Gaiman talks about the penny-wise, pound-foolish aspect. He says that England is the only country in which the oldest generation is more literate and numerate than the youngest generation, which bodes ill for the future.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming

Comments

[silveradept]

It is an excellent piece, and I sincerely hope everyone who reads it comes out a champion for libraries. Prime knows we need them.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

The game designer Daniel Solis sells a t-shirt that says 'Closing libraries during a recession is like closing hospitals during a plague.'

In my class last semester, we had to survey and report on three different libraries. I did the National Library of Medicine, the main site of the Phoenix Public Library, and my local campus' library. Although I knew of some of the changes that had been going on in libraries, like ebooks, and other digital media, I was taken by total surprise to hear that some public libraries offer day care for teens working on things like GED and jobs programs.

[silveradept]

I have seen that quote, and the shirts associated.

I'm also steeped enough in library culture that a day care service doesn't even get me to bat an eye or think it the tiniest bit strange. Probably a highly successful program fulfilling a community need.