Public Libraries

[Rusted]

My tax assesment came in the mail. I have a charge of $63 a year for the public libraries. I ask you these questions.....

When is the last time you used a public library?

In the past say 10 years how many times have you been in a public library?

If the library system disapeared how would your or my life be altered in any way?

 

[Kiel]

I had not been in a library for almost 10 years until this last six months, but I now attend monthly meetings at different ones. My wife does check out books pretty regular

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Meetings, book reviews, etc, 15-20 times a year. Checking out books, 1 time a year? Honestly I've bought more books out of their surplus sales than I have checked out in the last 10 years.

 

[Tacoma]

I go once a month, wife goes 2x a month to the SLC library. I probably get to the Tooele library 2x a month on average. I like books... and the Tooele library has neat government reports too.

EDIT: If the public library system went away, I would have to purchase the many expensive books on painting, museum catalogues, old out-of-print manuals of operation, etc that the library currently provides. For an idea of what that would cost me, the average monograph on whatever painter starts at around $60-70, and goes up. I have a small fortune tied up in these things already!

 

[Skylinerider]

In Tooele I went all the time, they have great history books. Here in Cedar, I go to the SUU library 2x a week or so. I've only been in the city library to pee.

 

[Stephen]

When is the last time you used a public library?

Friday

In the past say 10 years how many times have you been in a public library?

More times than I can possibly count. Checking out books for entertainment, doing research for school back in the day, doing research for personal enjoyment, checking out movies or TV shows (hey, cheaper than Netflix), meetings, exhibits, ect, ect.

If the library system disapeared how would your or my life be altered in any way?

Dramatically. Libraries are a community center and a center for knowledge and learning. Even if you don't ever use them, thousands of others in your community do. Can you honestly imagine an American town without a library? Often one of the first things to go in after a post office is a library. In many small towns the library functions as city hall and the courthouse as well. And even in towns with no library, there is usually one in the next largest town or county seat that is often a destination for family trips.
Libraries are an integral part of American life and it is inconceivable to me to not have one.

 

[Tacoma]

Well put, Stephen. SLC's library is top-notch, partly for the extra, non-book stuff it provides. There are not a lot of cities in the US w/a library that good.

 

[SAMI]

Where would the bums look up porn if it weren't for public libraries?

 

[Spork]

I got laid off in 2003 and would hit the library for internet access until I got my connection set back up. That's part of the problem of having the company you work for providing your ISP. Of course up until this year the city I live in didn't have a Library, and even now it's just a kids book library so I don't picture my library visits to increase anytime soon. :-\

 

[SAMI]

Where would the bums look up porn if it weren't for public libraries?

Proof:

I got laid off in 2003 and would hit the library for internet access until I got my connection set back up. That's part of the problem of having the company you work for providing your ISP. Of course up until this year the city I live in didn't have a Library, and even now it's just a kids book library so I don't picture my library visits to increase anytime soon. :-\

 

[Herzog]

My son gets a lot of his books from the library. Every time I've gone to the library it's mostly been full of kids and parents reading & learning. I'd say it's a good thing.

 

[Hickey]

I haven't been to the library in at least 5 years. I am absolutely willing to pay for it though. Stephen summed it up well.

 

[Spork]

Proof:

 

[Caleb]

I haven't been to a public library in probably 14-15 years now. The internet is my library I'm happy to pay for it though, it is a wealth of history that's yet to make it on to the internet.

 

[RockMonkey]

I go to a library often, and frequently check out books. I also check out e-books through the public library. That's one service I'm happy to pay taxes for. UTA and the zoo, on the other hand, should be self-funded.

 

[Brian P]

We use the Library quite a bit, We had a media reader sent to us and my daughter has quite a list of books on tape, braille and large print books to pick from, We also stop by the local Library near her Braille instructor.
Its an inexpensive way to check out video's as well.
They even have reloading manuals!

 

[Stephen]

Well put, Stephen. SLC's library is top-notch, partly for the extra, non-book stuff it provides. There are not a lot of cities in the US w/a library that good.

Hey, I learned it from hanging out at the library

Salt Lake's library is a great place. It has a very good catalog and the structure itself I feel has helped give SLC an architectural direction. If you look at many of the buildings that have gone up downtown in the past decade they've drawn some stylistic cues from the library, which is nice.

If you want to go to a stunning library, though, Chicagos is amazing. Largest library in the Western Hemisphere and just... Well... Interesting from an architectural perspective. I'm not much into post-modernism, but the Chicago Library is definitely worth a visit.

 

[I Lean]

I don't go that often, but my wife and kids are there probably weekly-ish. We're constantly at our maximum allowed number of checked-out items.

 

[DOSS]

Last time I was at the public library.. umm last Thursday (I was also checking out some ebooks this morning at 6AM from them but I don't think that counts)..

# of times in the past 10 years.. since I am there about weekly lets say 48 times per year Multiply that by 10....

How would my life change.. well I am sure I would have even more books in my basement than I already do, at least another couple of tree's worth so i would be at least 2-3K poorer. It would be much more difficult to get my hands on some primary source-books (usually have to Hit up the U for them but still) and then some of them are seriously rare so I need to add another grand for those.... My kids also love going to the library so they can have their pick of books to read, if not for the library I would have to buy 2-3 books every couple of weeks for them to read as well.. damn this is getting expensive..

 

[WayneXJ]

I go about 3-4 times a month myself, but my wife and kids are there all the time.