A Tale of Two Libraires
The Rocky River, west of Cleveland, is indeed full of rocks. Also fish, kayaks and and the shadows of pricey condos. The river also abuts the suburb of...Rocky River, where everything is, well, "orderly." Great schools and services, the kind of place where the kids can hang out all day at the pool and police actually show up when called. It's Pleasantville without the poodle skirts.
On top of it all, Rocky River has a wonderful library. Four levels, high ceilings, large, arched windows, tasteful decorations and lighting. Thrice annually, Riverians open their mailboxes to find a full color, glossy, booklet describing upcoming library programs. Lectures, concerts, book discussions, family story times, arts and crafts and even, this spring, "Spider-Man Appreciation Day." It's impressive, and exactly what we would expect from a facility supported by its own foundation and housing a pottery museum.
A mere thirteen miles to the east of this state-of-the-art public space is the Hough branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Small, one story, staff desks competing for space with shelves and displays. Like most libraries, a children’s area, computers, meeting rooms, a helpful staff. And a security guard in Kevlar.
Despite these disparate descriptions, what separates the Hough and Rocky River libraries is not distance, size, shelf space or pottery. It’s the different roles they play in their respective communities.
In Rocky River the library enriches and confirms Enrichment of comfortable lives, story time for kids who already have libraries at home. Confirmation that affluence has its privileges. Rocky river doesn’t need its spectacular library. It's a feature, one the chamber of commerce might tout on its list of "look what we have."
And Hough? In Hough the library still enriches, but also facilitates and empowers. It's where people with needs are connected with services. No computer hardware, software of internet access? Go to the library. No transportation to go downtown for legal advice? Go to the library. Homework help/food for kids with working parents? Library. Want to search for a new job, learn English, gain digital literacy, access telehealth services? You know what to do. (Please take the time to examine the full list of CPL services by following this link and selecting "services." It is stunning: https://cpl.org)
If we really want people to advance themselves, grow, contribute more, work their way out of poverty--why would we make it even harder by limiting these services? At the federal level, the administration in its now familiar, ham-handed, DOGEy way, is limiting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), one of the routes by which funding flows to public libraries. Here in Ohio, legislators want to shift library funding to a line item from a percentage of state revenues. In both cases, the result will be reduced funding.
To me, this is not just another story of haves and have nots. It's the growing awareness that for the affluent, libraries are still about books. And for others, libraries are the route to becoming more affluent. When library funding is cut, nothing changes in Rocky River. There's just less frosting on the cake. In Hough, it's the potential loss of the cake and the possibility of not having one.
At this point in history, when it is entirely possible the fast-steaming ship of state may well run aground, this is a difference we cannot allow.
