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The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

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Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#261

Post by bobthepanda »

kasey_junk wrote: post #183
bobthepanda wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No libraries would never be invented today. They did reinvent them, but in the spirit of the times they're mostly located in neighborhoods that are already more educated, more wealthy, and already have public library access. https://www.treehugger.com/culture/little-free-libraries-rai...

Is the idea that “book boxes are replacements for libraries” widely held? I have one and that idea seems insane to me. The book box to me is a nice landscaping feature, a place to drink coffee with my neighbors, a signal about my politics, a way for us to unload books & my attempt to get rad comics to school kids. I’d never correlate it to a public lending library.

Their messaging certainly doesn't discourage the behavior: https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/

In the face of funding declines for libraries, it also doesn't seem very ridiculous for someone to suggest. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/04/ameri...

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#262

Post by dang »

pixl97 wrote: post #14
Sharlin wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I read a library-related discussion on HN, one of the sentiments expressed was basically ”I download ebooks, why would anyone need a library?” Boggles the mind. There was also a bizarre comment about libraries being only funded to keep a bunch of otherwise useless civil servants employed.

>”I download ebooks, why would anyone need a library?” Pretty much the tech version of "I am a W.A.S.P., I pretend everybody that has different economic, social, and cultural differences from me doesn't exist"

This comment breaks the HN guidelines, which ask you not to bring extraneous flamebait into threads.

If you could please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and follow the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it.

Edit: looks like you've done this more than once and also posted a bunch of unsubstantive comments. Could you please fix this? We're trying for somewhat better here.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#263

Post by dang »

ghostly_s wrote: post #155
toastercat wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Libraries are public institutions funded by tax payers and mainly employ civil servants and government employees. It would be terribly ironic if a public institution did not abide by the law or respect your rights. Not to mention they do not exist for profit.

> It would be terribly ironic if a public institution did not abide by the law or respect your rights. LOL. Have you been to America?

Could you please stop posting unsubstantive comments to Hacker News?

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#264

Post by kasey_junk »

bobthepanda wrote: post #261
kasey_junk wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the idea that “book boxes are replacements for libraries” widely held? I have one and that idea seems insane to me. The book box to me is a nice landscaping feature, a place to drink coffee with my neighbors, a signal about my politics, a way for us to unload books & my attempt to get rad comics to school kids. I’d never correlate it to a public lending library.

Their messaging certainly doesn't discourage the behavior: https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/ In the face of funding declines for libraries, it also doesn't seem very ridiculous for someone to suggest. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/04/ameri...

Wait nothing about that Atlantic article suggests people are funding libraries less because of book boxes? I'd be shocked if there was a correlation there (I'm not at all shocked by the correlation with book boxes and affluent neighborhoods).

Also as an aside, if you are thinking about doing a book box there is no need to give the littlefreelibrary organization money. You can just put one up.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#265

Post by chlvsl »

sctb wrote: post #203
chlvsl wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not free. They're taxpayer subsidized.

You've been posting mostly inflammation here and we ban accounts that do that. Please stop. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Sure! Can you point out what's been inflammatory? I mostly try to keep it to conversational fidelity, so I can see how what I post can be interpreted as trolling.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#266

Post by lovehashbrowns »

harlanji wrote: post #74

The Library is literally the last place I can go as a homeless person to be left alone... I've been Tweeting about just this recently. The idea of Amazon taking over the library literally has tears in my eyes right now, in the middle of a public room: absolutely not. I grew up with no resources, uneducated parents, and the library was my refuge and why I made it to a successful position the first time. Take the Libra…

I was never homeless but I was in such a bad place, mentally, when I was a teen and the library was my sanctuary. The 4th floor of the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago. :') I have so many really fond memories of that place. Finally getting peace and quiet away from home. Having a place where I could read things and study. Or just hide away from everything and myself.

It makes me sad that there are people who want to get rid of these places. And what's worse is that they'd use exactly these reasons to get rid of them--the homeless and the recluses hang out there!

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#267

Post by chlvsl »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #116
chlvsl wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not free. They're taxpayer subsidized.

This is not informative. This is pedantic.

I am sorry, I did not realize I had an obligation to constantly inform you about something. I will do my best in the future.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#268

Post by Spivak »

moate wrote: post #192
zouhair wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh well, we live in a world where people willingly and happily give all their privacy to a private entity just for the privilege to take a cab. So the future is grim.

Never mind that there's an app that combines social media and...a payment service.

I would say using Venmo is different but the idea that a social network could be built around a p2p payment service works surprisingly better than it has any right to.

https://soundcloud.com/replyall/4-follow-the-money

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#269

Post by tooltalk »

Djvacto wrote: post #102
rayiner wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Expenditure of public money on an endeavor should not be driven by romantic notions like whether something has "essential soul." Tax money is a scarce resource. Money that's spent on libraries is tax money that's not available to offer better lunches to needy children. That's the calculus. Our county library system gets $22 million a year in tax dollars to service 2.4 million visits. Could Amazon meet those needs mor…

According to politifact[1], education spending accounts for just 3% of all government spending (mandatory and discretionary). Using libraries as the target for cuts so that we can feed the school-children, and citing logic, is ignoring a lot of other much more 'logical' choices we can make first. Military spending (16%), or Health spending, which is a whopping 28% because of our horse-by-committee system here in the…

This is wrong. Most education budget comes from your state or local (often in property) taxes, not from the federal gov't. According to US gov't spending, the fed spends $111B, but local and state about $1T in FY2018. (https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/us_education_spending_2...). NYC has the largest enrollment in the country for instance and spends whopping $24K per pupil.

Re: The last thing libraries need is Silicon Valley “disruption.”

#270

Post by Kalium »

Djvacto wrote: post #223
Kalium wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth bearing in mind that as education is primarily a state responsibility, the vast majority of education spending is at state and local levels. Libraries also tend to be budgeted for mainly below the federal level and thus mostly don't show up in the federal budget. The Politifact article you have so wisely provided speaks solely and exclusively to the federal budget. You're absolutely correct that education…

That's a good point! Most of the funding does come from the lower levels of government, and is worth bearing in mind.

As a result, it might be possible that statements such as "Education accounts for 3% of all government spending" might benefit from the wonderful opportunity to become more congruent with salient facts.
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