Glenda York on the library's position in an information-drenched world, and the thriller's pre-eminence in a society racked by a climate of corporate and political corruption.
It's been more than 200 years since Benjamin Franklin started the first lending library, and Americans are still coming to libraries seeking knowledge, but the institution of the library has changed enormously during that time.
In medieval times, books were valuable possessions—far too expensive for most people to own. Consequently as libraries developed, they consisted of large collections of books and other materials, maintained and funded by cities or other institutions, and were used by people who would not or could not afford to purchase books for themselves. However, we have gone from a time where information was scarce and precious, to a time where the information is vast, easily available (and in many cases free)—and quite literally overwhelming in its sheer volume. Recent surveys have shown that 43% of the people in our society are having trouble making decisions because of sheer data overload.
As our society has evolved, so have our libraries. The Alexandria Library was the grandest collection of knowledge in the ancient world, and one of the library’s current roles continues to be as a storehouse of knowledge. Today, like a Phoenix arisen from the ashes, a new Library Bibliotheca Alexandrina sits very close to the original site. Their goal is to recapture the spirit of the ancient library, to meet the challenges of a digital age, and to provide a dialogue between peoples and civilizations
But just as it is almost impossible to succeed in today’s world without computers and the internet, in the last decade or so libraries have been called upon to provide free Internet access to their patrons as well. Ninety-nine percent of all public libraries in America provide such access. For those Americans who don’t have Internet access at home, the public library is the place to get connected.
Public libraries give all people equal access to the benefits of technology. In an America where there is a growing income inequity, with the gap between the richest and poorest becoming wider year by year, this leveling of the playing field is an important role that libraries still maintain. The downside to this is that public libraries in some urban areas have become daytime shelters for the nation’s street people and their librarians unofficial social workers for the homeless (and often disturbed). Certainly libraries “should be for everyone”, but if it’s not an environment that most people want to spend time in it doesn’t do anyone any good.
One of the trends afoot in the library today has to do with communication systems. What is the ultimate form of communication, and will we ever get there? The train of thought being that we are not in a position to know the “ultimate form” of communication, but that it is probably not writing and reading books. Books are a technology, and writing is also a technology, and every technology has a limited lifespan. Well, as a Librarian, I think I would have to echo the opinion of one of my colleagues who when talking about an important function that public libraries still serve said “books, books, books for free, free, free”. Books, not “information”, books, not “technology”. Those small, flat, rectangular things made of wood pulp that are so easily portable and invulnerable to viruses or spam are still in my opinion the best thing going. Can you curl up with a good e-book? I think not. The bottom line is that libraries should not let the current focus on technology overshadow the activity of people who still read books for pleasure and visit the library in search of free, portable entertainment. They may want more technology, but not at the expense of books.
Another trend in libraries is the increasing use of interlibrary loan. Libraries with reduced buying power rely increasingly on interlibrary loan as a means of increasing their circulation. The thriller genre represents a large portion of the books requested. There has been a revolution in popular fiction. We may be entering an important new era, one that Patrick Anderson in his new book calls “The Triumph of the Thriller”. The thriller genre seems to dominate the best seller list in recent years. I think thrillers are popular because they hook you early in the book and keep you involved throughout. Also, a staple of the thriller genre is great skepticism of authority, which plays well in a country that since Watergate seems to embrace the concept. In a climate of corporate and political corruption, novels that examine this dark cynicism have replaced the old bestsellers of a generation ago. The 19th century pioneers like Poe and Conan Doyle and 20th century stars like Chandler and Christie have been replaced by Harris, Connelly, Lehane and others. The crime, suspense, and violence in these books reflects the fearful place our world can be despite the marvelous technology and science we have come to rely so heavily upon.
Time compression is also changing the lifestyle of our patrons. The statistics state the case plainly. People today sleep, on average, two hours less per night than 80 years ago (going from 8.9 hours per night to 6.9 hours). 34% of lunches today are eaten on the run. 66% of young people surf the web & watch TV at the same time. We have more needs….faster.
There is talk of transitioning to a verbal society. Presently keyboards are our primary interface between people and their electronic information, but many believe that the days of the keyboard are numbered. Computers will become more human (with personalities almost) and our interaction will have more of a sense of being with another human.
Libraries will transition from a center of information to a cultural center. Libraries have always been community gathering places and are the only institutions in American society whose purpose is to guard against the tyrannies of ignorance and conformity, and their existence indicates the extent to which a free society values knowledge, justice, truth, books, and culture. And let’s not forget that it is the users of libraries who will determine the future of libraries. Libraries will reinvent themselves and probably become more of a fusion of physical and virtual realms.
While we try to provide the best in information, material, equipment, services and facilities to our patrons, we need to do it in the best atmosphere possible. We need to provide them with a welcoming and nurturing place to come to explore, discover, retreat or contemplate. This is as important as the books and stuff we have available in our facility. People take action on or make their voices heard about things which they care about. We want them to be passionate about their public library. It has been said that librarians must do a lot with a little. And they do it so well, no one seems to notice that they don’t have the resources they need.
In his book COSMOS, Carl Sagan wrote “the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.”
Glenda York describes herself as 'a voracious reader, in love with the poetry of the English language, and in awe of those superb writers who know how to use it. I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction, with probably a slightly greater emphasis on fiction. As far as type or genre, I have my moods, but basically I read everything out there except bodice ripper romance novels. I am a librarian in a small public library in south central Kentucky . I’ve been married for 38 years, with one son (who is 16, and has just become an Eagle Scout). I am a member of a local book club called “The Porch Page Turners”—so named because we meet at a local restaurant called “The Porch”.
