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Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
51–60 of 250 posts
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#52Why would anyone think libraries are important in 2017? If things keep getting digitalized at the current speed, all knowledge of the world will be accessible online in our lifetime. Unless you believe that a large percentage of citizens will not be able to afford a device for accessing the internet, libraries are a waste of money. Oh and since librarians were mentioned, if AI keeps advancing, we will be able to have…
A library is free, even if all of the world's knowledge is online it would cost money to access in addition to paying for internet. The point of libraries is to remove any barrier to entry for knowledge. I can go to my library and get access to journals and articles I would have to pay for otherwise. It is not a huge waste of money, it is a great way to save. Taxes are paid into the library and as a result the commun…
> A library is free, even if all of the world's knowledge is online it would cost money to access in addition to paying for internet.
I wish that were true. It's not.
Libraries cost money. Acquiring, storing, maintaining a book in a room, with climate control and a proper shelter, costs more than storing the same book digitally. Providing access to copies of a physical book, to just a million people spread across the US, is extremely expensive compared to doing the same thing digitally via the Internet. Someone should run an estimate on that, it's such an astounding gap in cost as to be absurd.
There are many good arguments for libraries. That they don't cost money or are somehow free, is not one of them. They're subsidized systems of knowledge, primarily for the benefit of people lacking resources to otherwise access that information inexpensively (along with other various community and peaceful space benefits they usually provide).
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#53I would much rather billionaire types take on large issues that governments don't want to touch, like space flight or specific diseases in foreign countries, than something already in service like libraries. Maybe I just have a bias due to having a library just up the street from where I live currently, but I have never not had access to an adequate library in my life time, and only see room for marginal diminishing…
Libraries have such an enormous impact on people that need them! It's as if you read the article and completely ignored all the points the author made -- musical instruments, tools, and art being loaned out. Makerspaces, computers with internet access, free classes, resume help, job applications -- a politically neutral meeting space!
These are actually amazing investments because they're getting incredible duty-cycles out of all of those objects when they're being shared. One purchased instrument or computer for the library is access when it's needed for dozens if not hundreds of people. It's like the argument for self-driving cars being shared because normally cars are idle 95% of the time.
Think of the library as the efficient distribution center of Common Good.
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#54Why would anyone think libraries are important in 2017? If things keep getting digitalized at the current speed, all knowledge of the world will be accessible online in our lifetime. Unless you believe that a large percentage of citizens will not be able to afford a device for accessing the internet, libraries are a waste of money. Oh and since librarians were mentioned, if AI keeps advancing, we will be able to have…
It's not belief. It's fact that a large percentage of citizens are unable to access desktop computers for work/jobs, though they might have an internet-enabled phone. Have you ever been to a library in the inner city, or in any big city for that matter?
I concede, I've only ever been in a large campus library in the US.
Also I agree, if a few percent of the population cannot afford to access the internet there is a serious problem.
I just doubt that libraries are an effective way to solve this problem.
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#55[deleted]
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#56I would much rather billionaire types take on large issues that governments don't want to touch, like space flight or specific diseases in foreign countries, than something already in service like libraries. Maybe I just have a bias due to having a library just up the street from where I live currently, but I have never not had access to an adequate library in my life time, and only see room for marginal diminishing…
Govt should be in space flight and fighting disease.
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#57I would much rather billionaire types take on large issues that governments don't want to touch, like space flight or specific diseases in foreign countries, than something already in service like libraries. Maybe I just have a bias due to having a library just up the street from where I live currently, but I have never not had access to an adequate library in my life time, and only see room for marginal diminishing…
Visit a library in a low-income area (where people need them the most) and see the kinds of computers people use to hunt for jobs, do their homework, etc. I've been to a library that was running windows 2000 on TWO ancient Dells with with CRT monitors in 2015. And the two computers they had were being used by adults and students. There is so much to be gained from improving libraries.
This makes me think a recycle/reuse program should exist. "Our" old hardware is newer/better than what they have. I know this program probably does exists but I usually assume they are just breaking my device apart and pulling out gold/metals. If I knew the library needed a gently used device, I'd have no problem giving them my old stuff.
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Many have tried, but my guess is that it's extremely difficult mainly because the government is involved, and decades of archaic systems (and minds) that you need to deal with. The word "fast" isn't in the vocabulary in this industry, and every decision moves at a snail's pace. Granted, there's a reason and you can't simply fuck up and prioritize into the next sprint that you'll fix the previous fuckup. The other iss…
Large part of the issue is any downtime of existing systems is generally considered completely unacceptable in health care.
Yep. The other thing is that generally any sort of screw up (apart from server down time) by a company will cause extreme distrust from partners to the point of failure of your business. It's extremely tricky.
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#59> they're the only noncommercial places other than city squares where people meet across genders and ages
Church?
Re: Bezos should put his billions in public libraries
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Visit a library in a low-income area (where people need them the most) and see the kinds of computers people use to hunt for jobs, do their homework, etc. I've been to a library that was running windows 2000 on TWO ancient Dells with with CRT monitors in 2015. And the two computers they had were being used by adults and students. There is so much to be gained from improving libraries.
Let me give you a hypothetical company IT department: while you are allowed to work there with any education background, only an MBA can be a manager. How do you think they would perform at IT tasks? Who runs libraries? People with Masters in Library Science. I expect severe budget and certification crises would come to any library that won't put a certified librarian in a head position. Or, I'm a working class guy a…
Libraries in Canada have the same stipulations, but are actually funded and are open all the time. Our downtown library is open 9am-9pm every day of the year.