Why libraries rock

On August 4th, I immediately blogged about the flood that hit the Louisville Free Public Library in Kentucky and encouraged donations to be sent to them at

The Library Foundation
301 York Street
Louisville, KY 40203
http://www.lfplfoundation.org/

Today I am writing to encourage your support again as part of the blogathon, and to donate via the Library Society of the World's (LSW) campaign at Help LFPL. If you already know why the Cod of Ethics is not a typo, then thank you for already donating as I have.

If you know and haven't already, or have no idea what I'm talking about but can appreciate a Cod of Ethics, then please donate at least the cost of a latte to Help LFPL or the Foundation link above both take PayPal. I am also donating a shiny new Cod of Ethics coffee mug to be sent as an LSW award since I reviewed Clinical Reader in the name of the Cod. Steve Lawson was the first to blog in my support when Clinical Reader threatened to sue me, yet I would also be the first to blog if he in any way misappropriates the LFPL funds. There's a bigger chance of Cods raining down from the sky before that happens though.



It is a sad week in my fair city because every single Seattle Public Library branch is currently closed from today until opening on September 8th due to budget cuts. No books, no website resource guides, no online access to databases and journals, no public access to computers and the internet, nada.

I decided to pull some comments from the Seattle Times' article about the closure to illustrate why libraries rock. Some are straightforward, some are essentially the Muggles' perspective of what equates library operations and services, some are a bit incoherent, all (I think) are authentic opinions:

This is such a shame. In my opinion, libraries and parks are key to attract smart, educated and productive citizens to any city, otherwise we might as well be Spokane.

Why not take the library digital? That would same some money...

Why can't the library volunteers keep them open; they do everything anyways...for FREE!

I can afford to see the library buildings doors cllosed, but not the pages of the books.
Let all the books of knowledge as open as widely as you can, for that is where we can glean to drink the sweet water of wisdom by reading the contents of it wisely.
Abe Lincoln said, "My best friend is the one who gives me a book I have not read yet."

"What they would loose if public libraries weere not availble? "
I, for one, would miss the dictionary. Because I would see more people that don't know how to spell "lose."

Libraries are important to our society for many reasons and everyone should be concerned when they are threatened. When societies do not have unfettered free access to books and information that is not controlled by the goverment, you end up with even more backward thinking people that seem to need to voice their ignorant opinions here.