In the United States, we provide too few opportunities for young people to pursue their passions if they don't happen to fit in prescribed curricular boxes. Libraries are zones where young people can be supported in creative pursuits that have little or nothing to do with the mastery of the skills, such as the order of operations in math or how to succeed at reading comprehension, that are demanded of them in annual standardized tests. While these core skills are no doubt important, so too are the informal types of learning that draw young people into expansive, creative postures. Librarians can be extremely helpful guides in these informal and semiformal environments.
John Palfrey, Bibliotech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google
