The Relevancy of Libraries

A recent post trying to get the about having the Jamaica Plain branch renovation included in the upcoming capital budget [please sign the online petition to do that now!] sparked an interesting comment that I have been ruminating on ever since. Someone thought libraries are becoming irrelevant.

I would beg to differ, having spent Saturday in the JP Branch celebrating the 60th Birthday of the Friends of the Library in our 100 year old building. Sure libraries are changing with the times, but I do not think the concept is invalid just yet. In fact, I do not think it ever will be.

I recently attended a big benefit down at the Park Plaza that the Associates of the Boston Public Library put on annually - 'Literary Lights'.  One of the honorees, Michael Korda, spoke of how people in the 21st century have suddenly started citing the rise of the e-book as reason for the demise of libraries.  He told a little story that reflected on this transition. Back in the earliest days of writing the Mesopotamians scratched cuneiform into clay tablets which they then baked to provide permanent items that everyone could read. Some years later, the Egyptians created a new format - this stuff they called papyrus.  Soon enough, papyrus scrolls were introduced to the Mesopotamians who said "huh, I miss the bulk of those old clay tablets." This anecdote illustrates that the vehicle by which we obtain printed material may change but the need to read and absorb new information will never die.

The BPL provides the ability to check out e-books and more & more folks are using the service (nearly 80,000 in the last quarter). I doubt the founding Trustees back in the mid-1800s every envisioned that a kid in Dorchester would be able to download a graphic novel onto their Kindle in 2012. But I also doubt they wouldn't be pleased as punch when he does just that. Libraries continually evolve and change. And the JP Branch is not just about reading it is a fantastic community center where folks in JP can gather to knit, talk about poetry, celebrate birthdays, jump online or just sit and read (on whatever device they would like). The services that the library staff can provide are myriad - story hours, reference assistance or even a museum pass. The need for librarians is never going away and the relevancy of the library is not either.

Stop by the Friends of the JP Library table at Wake Up The Eart this Saturday and let me know if you agree!