Funding for Libraries

The chaos facing libraries created by inadequate funding is well-depicted in the comprehensive coverage by Larry Green and Tracy Shryer. I was pleased to see recognition given to the public library as the people’s university. In higher education, the library has long been acclaimed as being the heart of the institution.

And in a special library, the educational role of the special librarian is finally coming into its own. No matter where, librarians are essentially educators, for it is within their inherent training to utilize the tools of education on behalf of their clientele. The free flow of information is, of course, absolutely essential in a democracy. As a lifelong special librarian, I finally realized that the problem seems to be in that very word-- free . It dates back to the free public libraries of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Those who slash library budgets need to be updated: There are no free lunches; somebody has to pay the piper.

SHERRY TERZIAN

Los Angeles