Libraries and Democracy

My mother was a public librarian, and in our household, the value of libraries was unquestioned.  It was positively programmed into us that libraries were important to society so that everyone could have free access to information. 

But, as we all know, just because you believe in something strongly, it doesn’t mean anyone else does. 

In our recent study of library users, we asked respondents “Why are public libraries important to you and your community?”  Respondents were only allowed to select the one option most important to them.  We were surprised by the results:

• 46% - provide public with free access to a wide variety of information
• 27% - opportunities for lifelong learning
• 11% - learning opportunities/resources for children
• 6% - immersion in stories
• 4% - resources to individuals, including research, job seeking
• 3% - place for community to come together
• 3% - other
• 0% - libraries are not that important to me

Turns out, nearly half of regular library users agree with me (and my mother) that the greatest importance of libraries is free access to information for anyone.  (Keep in mind, however, that these responses are from regular library users, and are not necessarily reflective of the general public.) 

When, in an open-ended follow-up question, respondents were asked why free public access to information was important, they tended to say things like:

 “I think public access to information, education and resources is critical to a democracy!!!” 

Other comments mentioned that procuring information would be too cost prohibitive, or even not possible, for many people otherwise. 

One respondent even thought through the tax implications of libraries, noting that libraries are a:

“No-brainer from an economic point of view -- sharing materials among citizens. Probably the most cost-effective way that our government spends our tax dollars.”

We had open-ended follow-up questions for the other responses as well. 

Respondents who chose lifelong learning tended to mention that it keeps you young or active, is good for personal growth, and that it is enjoyable.  As one person noted:

“Lifelong learning leads to lifelong improvement. I am a better mother, better wife, better me when I'm challenging my brain and learning about the world as I go.”

Parents of young children, however, were more likely than other respondents to choose learning opportunities/resources for children.  While some parents commented that going to the library was an important part of their children’s learning experience, more parents felt that instilling a love of reading or learning in their children was important, as this comment exemplifies:

“I believe that reading and books are crucial to children's development, especially in the technological world we live in. I think instilling in a child a lifelong love for books and learning is crucial and one of my most important jobs as a parent.”

I have to admit to being a little envious of these results, however.  I think of museums as the repositories of our humanity, and that, with libraries, they serve the public by sharing access to information, inspiring lifelong learning, and developing children’s minds. 

Yet museums are structured, and supported, entirely differently than libraries, with most being nonprofits that do have to charge admission fees.  Though we have never asked, I doubt that museum goers would match the fervor of library users in believing museums are crucial for democracy and an informed citizenry.  It does beg the question “why not?” 

So what do you think?  Are museums just as crucial as libraries?  Why or why not?  To share your thoughts, simply click on “comments” below.  (If you are reading this from your e-mail subscription to the blog, please go to our blog's website to add a comment.)

Comments

[Emily]

Are museums just as crucial as libraries is an interesting question!

I would say no, and I think you've hit the nail on your head with your insight about admission fees. Libraries are free and open to all, and can therefore be a more democratic force both by disseminating information freely AND by bringing everyone together. Also, particularly in the case of public libraries which are generally government-supported, everyone in the community is a stakeholder.

Conversely, the price of admission makes a museum a more elite place. Although a museum also preserves culture and disseminates knowledge, the museum doesn't belong to everyone.

[Mark Osborne]

This is a great question. Yes, I do believe museums are as crucial to a community as libraries, parks, colleges, the arts, etc. Whether charging for admission, no matter how meager, makes museums elitist is debatable. In my town, we do have museums that are funded 100% by the city, and thus, pose a challenge to those of us who must charge a nominal fee for admission. (Not sure $3 for adults smacks of elitism.) At this time, we do admit organized school groups for free because we do receive a small amount of hotel/motel tax money. Whether museums are "democratically" funded or not, they do serve as partners to libraries, in that, they help to bring alive many of the ideas and stories found in books.

[Dan]

Museums can be crucial for democracy when they show a retrospective of events, items or ideas and tie them in to current events. But, with a few exceptions, I feel museums generally do not answer the "How", "Why", "What if" questions a good democracy should be asking as effectively and in depth as a library can.

Another democratizing factor libraries have in their favor is the "Inter-library Loan" system. With it I can easily get obscure resources from distant locations locally. My local museums don't have the capacity to bring me artifacts from other museums to study. If I can't afford to travel to the host museum I'm out of luck.

[Jennifer Caleshu]

A few library/museum differences that I can think of, that help get at the essential-ness of libraries, and the relative in-essentialness of museums (i.e. civically funded vs non-profit model - where we as a culture put our tax dollars says a lot, I think): I think libraries also aim generally to be a repository of a wide variety of knowledge, while museums generally have a curatorial point of view or subject-matter specificity. Sure, there are specific libraries (architecture, maritime history etc) or museums that are interdisciplinary, but I still think museums generally have a point of view that I don't feel libraries have. This makes libraries inherently more 'open' and 'democratic', in my opinion. People also don't expect subject-matter expertise from librarians (though of course they are experts in other ways), whereas there are subject-experts in museums.

[Melissa Mannon]

While libraries open a world of knowledge, museums open a world of identity. Preserving our cultural heritage -- keeping the objects that show who we are and how we got here -- is crucial to the forward movement of a free society. Unlike public libraries, museum hold original items that make us think specifically about ourselves and our communities. Museums tie us together by showing a common past and also point out our differences so we can better understand each other.

I do agree that public fervor for museums would lag behind libraries. I also agree that it is in part because of fees. I would also add that many museums need to work on how they promote themselves. The most successful museums tie their mission and goals directly to individuals. More need to focus on how their resources and programs benefit the community directly and to develop programs that emphasize this. Just opening doors and inviting the public in for free is not going to change the perception of a museum's relevance.

Great post! I could go on and on with this topic. There's so much to think about and so many comparisons that we can make between what one type of cultural heritage institution does compared to another. I hope that museums, libraries, and archives work harder to learn from one another and examine ways we can adapt each others' strategies for success.