On Terry Deary and The Modern Library

SOURCE: Libraries 'have had their day', says Horrible Histories author

Terry Deary - author of the Horrible Histories series of children's books has declared that libraries are "no longer relevant" in the modern world.  Claiming that he was " not attacking libraries" but rather "attacking the concept behind libraries", Deary went on to justify library closings by claiming they are putting the book shops and publishers out of business by giving away a product for free.

"...we've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers."


"The libraries are doing nothing for the book industry. They give nothing back, whereas bookshops are selling the book, and the author and the publisher get paid, which is as it should be. What other entertainment do we expect to get for free?"

I'm not quite sure where to start with how horribly out of date and inaccurate Deary's views are.  But since I was asked for my opinion on this matter, I'll try and walk through this.


1. Public library books are a privilege, not an entitlement 

Most public libraries collect most, if not all, of their funding through local taxes.  By paying taxes in your locality, you support the library and earn the right to use it.  Most libraries are strict about making sure you live in their locality before letting you partake in certain privileges (i.e. checking out materials, using the computers for an extended period, etc.) so the chances of someone freeloading off the system are virtually nil.

2. Public libraries do more than just check out books

Deary complains that books are the only entertainment people expect to get for free.  Clearly, he's never been on The Pirate Bay, where all manner of games and movies can be downloaded along with book scans.  Ignoring the thieves, Deary's view of libraries is antiquated.  Libraries do not just loan out books.  They loan out all manner of materials, including music CDs, audiobooks, magazines and yes, even movies like Roald Dahl's Matilda, which Deary name-dropped in his example of a movie people would pay money to see in a theater and then expect to get for free from a library.  Ironic considering that Matilda is about a library-loving girl who is happier reading than watching TV.  And that's ignoring the value libraries have as a cultural and educational center, offering free classes, technical resources and after-school programming among other services. 

3. Public libraries boost book sales 
 
There's been countless studies that have proven what most library users will tell you - being able to give new authors a try through checking out library books has led to them buying more books.  A 2011 Library Journal study confirmed this. Amazon also confirmed that their ebook sales went up after they started making their ebooks available for libraries to loan out. 

4. Public libraries make books accessible to people who couldn't buy them in the first place.

Deary seems to have fixated on one group of people being library users - the thrifty sorts who won't pay for what they can get for free.  Ignoring my first point for the moment (i.e. these people have paid for the privilege of using the library), Deary forgets another important category of library patrons - those who can't afford their own books. 

Be it the economically disadvantaged or children and teenagers whose parents won't buy them books for one reason or another (Parents like Harry Woodworm from Matilda are sadly real, I'm sad to say) there's a lot of people who depend on the library for reading material that aren't costing the book shops, the publishers or Mr. Deary one red cent because they don't have any money for them to take.   



In conclusion, Deary's views on libraries are as set in the past as his Horrible Histories books.  The fact of the matter is that everyone profits from the existence of public libraries, from the kid at the story time to the publishing executive.  Libraries do far more than give away books and even if they didn't there's no evidence that they are hurting book-sellers and authors.  Indeed, the reverse seems to be the case.   
 

Not really comics related, but this is very near and dear to my heart...

SOURCE: Budget woes a chance to remake libraries


Clearly this man hasn’t set foot inside a library in the past year.

While I'll admit there is some justice in his complaints regarding Dallas being slow to adapt new technology (they had just upgraded the public computers to Windows XP while I was working there in the summer of 2008) the whole thing is amazingly ill-informed.

Just to pick out a few choice lines...



libraries are not dying, they're dead

Tell that to everyone trying to find a parking space during story-time at my branch.



Perhaps the system could expand its Bookmobile program, a perfect example of the library literally meeting customers where they are.

Except people still have to get to the Bookmobile stopping points which - in Dallas - means taking a bus if you can't drive yourself, so they might as well just take the bus to the library. Especially since most of the libraries have their own bus stop or are close to a bus stop point.

For that matter, wouldn’t more bookmobiles require spending MORE money the libraries don’t have on vehicles and gas?



For example, a popular attraction is when authors or even residents come into a branch to read to patrons.

This assumes of course that you have an author who is willing to appear for free.

Popular, professional authors (i.e. people your patrons have heard of) generally have very busy schedules and since personal appearances take away from their writing time when they aren't doing book tours their publisher set up, they tend to charge money to do them.

The authors who most libraries can afford tend to be self-published and tend toward genre fiction. And by genre fiction I mean badly edited vampire pornography.



Additionally, the "how to" features deserve expansion, with more classes such as how to build a website or create a Facebook page.

That would require computers that were capable of opening Facebook without crashing.

Actually, I know there was at least one librarian who used to work in Dallas, who tried to do a class or two like that. And he did manage to muddle through a website design class and a MySpace for beginners class, despite handicaps like a lack of a digital projector, a lack of a private computer lab and a lengthy waiting list to borrow a Wi-Fi capable laptop and an S-video capable projector form the city IT department so he could do a PowerPoint show.



When I was a sales representative, I often stopped at libraries during my lunch hour to browse the internet. Whether at the Oak Lawn or Park Forest branch, there was almost always a wait to use a computer.

Yes, I had to wait for a computer nearly every time I went there - but remember, libraries are dead! Not dying - dead!



Not only should the library system assess its budget priorities to get more computers into the system, but also secure other technology aimed at e-book reading.

One question: which reader standard do we use? I checked, Amazon was banking rather heavily on being the only place people could buy books for the Kindle and they weren't doing ANYTHING to make those ebooks accessible to libraries.



But these are the delivery methods young people are looking for,

... on Pirate Bay.



... and libraries should become the place to find them.

... downloading books onto their e-readers using BitTorrent.



While the library is still vital for families, it was never designed to only serve children.

To Serve Children! It’s a cookbook! A COOKBOOK!



Libraries compete with big book stores for adult patrons and must find a way to lure them back.

We do? We provide internet access, book, music and movie rentals and – in some cases – live entertainment for roughly $25 a year. If anything, the big bookstores are competing with us by giving away Wi-Fi in their stores and actually allowing their patrons to read stuff in the store.



It's going to take more than lattes and paninis to win back those who now use coffee shops and cafes as their study hall and meeting place.

So... the libraries need to sell espresso AND lattes?



Why can't the library start selling new books?

*clearing his throat and doing his best Alan Rickman voice*

Because then we’d be a book store, you twit!

Seriously, libraries trying to sell new materials DOES NOT WORK.

True Story: Dallas tried a program in 2008 – Street Smart – in which patrons had the option of paying $5 to rent popular movies and books with no wait. Oddly enough, few patrons wanted to pay that much to rent a movie they can get for the same price or less at the Blockbuster down the street. Even fewer were willing to pay for the privilege of checking a book out. But many of them were willing to line up for a chance to speak with the branch manager and tell them (or anyone else in earshot) that libraries are not supposed to sell books.



If scores of patrons are on a waiting list to check out the new Oprah biography, might some buy a new copy from the library if it was available?

No, because that would require money they either don’t have or don’t want to spend.

You see, libraries mainly cater to two segments of the public.

1. Economically disadvantaged people who can't afford Internet service/books of their own. (i.e. poor bastards)
2. Thrifty people who don't like to spend a lot of money on luxuries like Internet service and books. (i.e. cheap bastards)

The poor bastards can't afford to buy the new Oprah Book Club offering. The cheap bastards won't buy the new Oprah Book Club offering. They won't even pay to RENT it! See the above example, re: Street Smart.



As a southern Dallas resident, at least a couple of libraries are closer to my house than the nearest major book store.

As a southern Dallas resident, there’s probably also at least a couple of crack houses and brothels closer to your house than the nearest major book store. Why not ask Smiley The Pimp about stocking that new Oprah biography?



And when was the last time that your favorite author held a book signing at the local library?

About a month ago. And his local paper is screaming bloody murder because the state spent money on paying an author to do a personal appearance rather than building a new football stadium.