Monday, November 17, 2008

Tom Ferrick on Philadelphia's Libraries

Tom Ferrick, formerly of the Inky and now writing for WHYY has a great blog post on It's Our City. Read "Waging Class Warfare Over Public Libraries." Here's how it starts:

To begin with, libraries are not libraries. They are sanctuaries.

This is especially true in big cities, where life can be hard and the streets mean. They are places for latchkey children to go after school. They are destinations for the elderly to ease the loneliness that sometimes comes with old age. They are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, usually genial and safe havens.
So, anyone who sees libraries simply as a dispenser of books misses the point.


He looks at the economic status of the areas where libraries are slated for closure.

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