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What YOU Think About Your Public Library

© Mindy Rhiger

It has been said that libraries "satisfy a fundamental need of society," that of access to information. In this Age of Information, there has been debate over whether libraries are even necessary with all that is available online. The question remains open, as do public libraries. But are they providing access to the information that people need? Are they serving their purpose?

"I can get a lot of books for free, and I can usually find something I'm interested in," says 18-year-old Sara of her public library, and others agree with her, citing that they often want or need access to free materials, such as audiobooks or periodicals, that they would rather not purchase for themselves. The library is a great place to get access to these items, including, in many cases, large selections of CDs, DVDs, and videos (cheaper than Blockbuster!). And, the public library is the one place in town that you can to find free Internet access, which many people who don't have computers at home will tell you is something they are very interested in.

But, it depends largely on the library. Some public libraries have been forced to cut back their services due to limited funds, and some library users have noticed the effects of this, including shorter hours, charging for "extra" services, lack of space, and staffing issues.

One library user commented that her local library is "seriously understaffed." She added that "recently the branches have added an extra closed day a week because of budget shortfalls and some have shortened their hours." This is the case in public libraries throughout the country as they are forced to limit their hours more and more, especially during the summer months. This has left some unsatisfied, but people understand the dilemma with which library directors are faced. "I wish it had more open hours. . . I'm sure they would like to be open but budget cuts have affected them," one library user lamented.

A library user in Philadelphia wrote of her library: "It just feels like it's completly falling apart. I was excited to go there the first time, and when I looked around it just seemed so...depressing. It felt like it had been picked over (years ago!) and no one ever thought to replace books, or clean the dirt off the floor. The itty bitty library where my mother lives has a better selection."

23-year-old Natalie had these complaints about her library system: "Not enough space at the main branch, so a lot of books are in storage; the main library has NO nearby parking."

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