thecoil:

I’ve had a series of increasingly depressing conversations with people about the future of libraries. I try to be the practical and upbeat librarian, making ethical and economic points about the role of public libraries. Here’s the thing though: if people really think that libraries no longer serve a function because of the internet, then I guess they should proudly voice that opinion— however uninformed and privileged it might be. It’s no coincidence that the same people who make these arguments are urban dwellers who invariably take for granted their own access to information, technology, and education. The digital divide is still alive and well despite what your fb wall looks like. The public sphere that Habermas imagined is disappearing, and it’s pretty clear that fewer and fewer people give a shit. Public spaces that don’t give consideration to capitalism and commercial ventures just aren’t that cool anymore, I guess?

Having said all that, if you live in the Bay Area or are simply visiting, go see the remnants of the public library system in this really awesome exhibit from photographer Robert Dawson.

http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000341601