Quote:
Originally Posted by prairieguy
i have read with interest and the lively debate over the library. If we are going to offer anecdotal references to the debate, I can offer that on 2 visits to Halifax their library was a destination point to visit! Both times that I went to the facility, it was absolutely full of people. I cannot speak to how they were using the facility, but it was definitely a community gathering place.
I also find it interesting that I seldom to never visit our library, yet made two purposeful visits to the Halifax one....the building, atmosphere and vibe and amenities were definite draws.
Just saying.....  |
I agree. I lived in Amsterdam until recently - it has a great library which is very popular with locals and visitors alike. I saw the exact same library debate play out in the Ottawa thread. I think the problem is that people are too fixated on the medium (books) rather than the broader purposes of libraries.
Books are still important but libraries today are about much more than books. They are community education centres and gathering places. Perhaps the only fully public institutions that anyone can access and benefit directly from. The Amsterdam library has books but it also provides places for people to read newspapers, use the internet, attend public lectures, or even go to a restaurant. Saskatoon could benefit greatly from such a library, which ideally would increase the quality of life of Saskatoon residents, improve literacy/reduce inequality (it is often immigrants and uneducated people who benefit most from libraries and they may not have good internet access at home), and even provide city services.
My fear is not the money spent on a potential library but that we will go cheap and build something that is not as useful as it could be.