Guest Post: A response to "Checking Out" at PlanPhilly.com
The following post was written by my wife Emily, currently completing her MLIS degree at the University of Pittsburgh.
I appreciate the attention that this article at PlanPhilly.com brings to the budget issue faced by the library, but the short-sightedness of this claim disappoints me:
"…the Free Library is not free. We as taxpayers pick up the tab, and its collections really belong to us. So I hope the library weighs any short-term cash infusion against a deep long-view about making sure the library’s important special collections remain publicly accessible."
Tax dollars alone do not sustain everything the Free Library offers the city's citizens. If city residents are invested in helping save the library's special collections, then there is much they can do, such as contacting city representatives to advocate for an increased budget, volunteering their time, and making cash donations to the library's foundation.
To my understanding from the article, the "short-term cash infusion" is intended not only to provide library users with the things they find useful but also have long-term impact. Increased access to computer work stations, coupled with training sessions in job searches, say, have a long-term impact not just for individuals but on the city’s economic vitality. Renovated library branches can enhance the patron experience—and increase return on investment for branch neighbors.
The Penn Fels Institute of Government conducted an economic value study of the Free Library in 2010 and found, among other inspiring facts, that homes within ¼ mile of a library branch were worth $9,630 more than homes further away. Addressing areas without easy access to library branches, the Free Library is doing what it can (read: setting a national model!) to be fiscally responsible but still provide access to library services by embedding librarians and technology in communities via Hot Spots and the Techmobile.
I don’t mean to denigrate the importance of continuing to preserve the historic special collections in the Free Library’s care. However, a few points:
Deaccessioning is a critical component of any collecting institution’s collection policy. The Free Library is acting upon its ethical responsibility in assessing whether its special collection holdings are appropriate to its mission and function.
The Free Library’s primary mandate is to “advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity.” Literacy and learning can happen in many different ways. Creating the means of enhancing literacy skills (through library services focused on this goal) is essential in a city whose literacy rate is significantly lower than the national average.
Instead of bemoaning the possible loss of collection items, perhaps a more constructive attitude would be to rally library supporters in raising funds to keep collection items. Awareness from the article is a great first step; positive engagement can have an actual impact.
