Save Our Libraries & Books, Mr. President!
Libraries are in trouble.
They’re in the same boat as book publishing, newspapers, and magazines.
In her column in The Nation's February 9 print edition, Katha Pollitt calls upon President Obama: “… there is something that belongs on that lengthy to-do list of his, along with rolling back Bush’s midnight regulations, putting the torturers on trial and for God’s sake brokering a fair and lasting settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Help books. I know it sounds sappy and do-goodish and earnest. But do it.”
Pollitt notes that, “Books are in crisis in so many ways.” And she powerfully argues for helping libraries (public and school) and the entire print media business.
“If the government can bail out the banks that are so deeply implicated in our current troubles…why can’t it help books and other print media?”
Read the entire article at thenation.com, then make your voice heard, as well.
The REAL Nancy Pearl, the Seattle-area librarian and author the action figure pictured above is based on.
Advertisments
Much Ado About Publishing
All Fired Up
Those who want to ban books have always been fond of fire.Bonfires, to be specific, because they make such a dramatic statement as they consume mounds of books in displays intended to scare the hell out of people, or at the very least intimidate them.
Fire-winning-out-over-books has also made individual statements. Who can forget that heartbreaking scene in the film Educating Rita where Rita’s husband, angry that she’s taking a college literature tutorial, burns her books?
In the centuries-long battle between books and fire, I’m happy to report that here in Austin, Texas, books have recently triumphed over fire.
But, not in the way you might think.
Short millions of dollars for city services when the economic meltdown resulted in far less sales tax revenue than had been expected, Austin had to come up with a plan to make cuts in many departments.
In the fall, the city had already cut one day a week out of the public library schedule. Now, they wanted to cut more hours.
The public went nuts.
The city manager listened, and it was hands off the library.
Instead of cutting “x” amount of money from the library, he proposed making that cut from the fire department.
In a way, of course, he said, that wouldn’t compromise public safety.
The fire chief was not amused.
The librarians and the public were relieved, but confused.
While it’s swell, not to mention surprising, that libraries were spared, and it certainly makes a dramatic statement that the city chose, instead, to tinker with the fire department budget, maybe just that gesture is enough. It shows that the city takes libraries seriously. Now, perhaps they’ll also leave the fire department alone and cut “x” amount from somewhere less risky.
While everyone wants books to win out over fire, I don’t think anyone wants to hamper those who put out the fire.
The budget-cutting proposals continue.
In this time of need, I think the library can learn a thing or two from the fire department. Hunky firemen have been gracing fundraising calendars for years, so why not have librarian calendars?
They can be tasteful and literary, yet amusing. Everybody can keep their clothes on. Since children frequent libraries, I don’t think naked librarians, either male or female, even if their private parts are covered by books, is the way to go.
Librarians have already shown that although they may not look as imposing as firefighters, they are just as brave and determined, and have fought many censorship and privacy battles on our behalf. They continue to fight for us when no one else will.
I have the Librarian Action Figure on one of my bookshelves. She watches over me and my books, just as her real-life counterpart does for all of us.
* * * * *
Nina L. Diamond is a journalist, essayist, and the author of Voices of Truth: Conversations with Scientists, Thinkers & Healers. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Omni, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and The Miami Herald.