I thought I was the only person who reads Utne! I also read Mother Jones, but perhaps that’s more information about my political persuasion than I should give.

I also went back and read Mike’s post about why we exist, and should we continue to exist? It hasn’t been all that long that libraries have existed for the public (as a public good, as Rich so eloquently points out.) I read a book (I forget the title, but can find it again) that is a primary source about jobs that existed a century ago: jobs such as wheelwright, ironmonger, etc. that largely don’t exist anymore. Many of the chapters dealt with how people coped as their jobs disappeared beneath their feet. Is there anything that guarantees the further existence of libraries? Not everything lasts forever.

Nevertheless, I would hate to see the demise of libraries. With increased privatization and standardization (which Dodge points out in the Utne article), is there a role that libraries can and should play? Is there something that we do better than anyone/anything else?

I have one brief answer (and probably other longer answers as well): libraries exist as a symbol of the First Amendment. Maybe some (secretly, since we at least pay lip service to freedom of speech) wouldn’t think that’s an important role. But I like to think of opposing viewpoints, sitting side by side in the same Dewey number.