The inherent value of the public library is not in question. The current emphasis on 'demonstrating value' as a way to secure funding is a distraction, a misuse of time that could and should be spent attacking the real causes of the public library's existential crisis: a political and economic system that wants public libraries to fail. If we hope to truly preserve libraries as a public institution, we need to break through the immobilizing appeal to 'neutrality.' We need to organize ourselves and our communities into a consciously non-neutral, consciously political force that actively fights for the right and value of the public good. Our survival depends on it.
Harissis, S. (2018). “The Fight For Public Library Funding: Demonstrate Value or Demonstrate in the Streets?” Progressive Librarian (46). p 5-10.
