Op-Ed. Don’t close the book on libraries! (Miami Herald, 5/1/2011)
Excerpt: My grandmother recently passed away, and when it came time to write her eulogy, my sister and I spoke about dozens of different memories. But there was one memory that was so vivid to both of us: When my grandmother took us to get our first library cards. We both had an almost silly pride in those cards. Back then, we didn’t have money, but those cards gave us books, which served as passports to a better life.
In my Brooklyn Public Library, my life was changed. Enlarged. Yes, I can now say it helped me become an author. But what was far more important was that it helped expand the way I viewed the world. There were suddenly places to go, adventures to be had.
And that’s why I worry that the more than 68 percent of our population who hold library cards may lose their opportunity to take advantage of free library resources such as books, Internet access and library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining.
Especially in this economy, libraries play a huge role in any potential economic recovery. Look at the evidence to see why: The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study — funded by the Gates Foundation — reported in June 2010 that 67 percent of public libraries are the only provider of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities. Eighty-two percent of libraries also provide wi-fi access.
Indeed, it’s tough to find anyone who doesn’t see the value of libraries. Then why am I taking the time to write this?
It’s because — incredibly, sadly — the very legacy that was passed down from my grandmother to my sister and myself is being snatched away.
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