In honor of National Library Week and the recent resolution of the Toronto library workers strike, here are a few reasons why libraries are essential to a healthy, open society.
1. Because the library is one of the few remaining public spaces in North America that doesn't revolve around commerce. I grew up in the suburbs of Western New York, and our public square was the mall. Societies need spaces that encourage intellectual stimulation, and which are relatively free from consumer culture.
2. Because ideas must be accessible to all, free of charge. Survival of the fittest abides in too many aspects of our society, but access to ideas should not be one of them; if we truly believe in an equitable, democratic society, lifelong learning must be an option for everyone, regardless of socio-economic position. Every citizen deserves the right to discover The Communist Manifesto, Dickens, Morrison, the Oxford English Dictionary, and hell, even Atlas Shrugged, if that's what you're into.
3. Reading is fun!
4. The library is a great place to take your demon offspring when they get bored with Dora the Explorer. Kids are actually pretty responsive when an adult sits down and reads to them. Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak will always be the shit. And reading to your kids will make them smarter. (However, please station your kids far, far away from me.)
5. The library sure beats the noisy and crowded Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Mall. Check out the beautiful Runnymede library (2178 Bloor St. W.), housed in a preserved heritage building in Bloor West Village.
6. Free internet! You may have to wait until that one guy finishes looking at porn, but still. It's free.
7. The public library is a great place to study, because you don't have to buy a latte to justify sitting there all day. Libraries are there for people to use, for free, for as long as you want (or until the librarians kick you out). Also, librarians ain't no punks when it comes to chit-chat. You may not be able to control the volume in a Starbucks, but best believe your local librarian will not stand for excessive noise!
8. You can test-drive a book before you buy it; or better yet, don't buy it at all!
9. Libraries have those huge, 50-lb. dictionaries you've seen in movies. Why lug one all the way home from the vintage book shop when you can just use the library copy? Although the OED is available online, the print version is more interesting, and they won't charge you a subscription fee just to read it. (Maybe these reference books appeal only to me?)
10. If you're lucky, your local branch may have a delightfully bitchy librarian who warns, "The library is a wonderful resource; DO NOT abuse it." She's right.
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