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Old 12-14-2020, 03:55 PM
 
Location: Oregon Coast
15,225 posts, read 8,830,400 times
Reputation: 20247

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Quote:
Originally Posted by robertbrianbush View Post
Look at the massive positive contributions Massachusetts makes to our nation's economy, scientific and technological progress, etc.
You get what you pay for. And an ideal state has excellent libraries ABD excellent outdoor opportunities. Funding for libraries does say something about a community's priorities and the kind of folks who live there. I lived in a town once that did not support it's library...and it proved to be indicative of other problems in the community.
I don't necessarily disagree. My point with that post was that if I thought access to a good public library system was important to me, I would not be living in rural Oregon. Honestly I think libraries in rural areas are a waste of money at this point. No matter how much money is spent on rural libraries, they will never have a good selection of books. Plus I'm not sure it's really that important anymore. These days most all books can be read online, for a nominal cost, that most everyone should be able to afford.

Libraries have certainly served their purpose, but I don't see a future for them. I don't think Oregon should spend any more money on libraries. Maybe the money could instead be used to subsidize internet access and Amazon Kindles for people who can't afford them. I think that would be a better use of the money.
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Old 12-14-2020, 04:12 PM
 
8,418 posts, read 8,631,249 times
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Statewide sharing of library resources is pretty important for small libraries / communities.
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Old 12-14-2020, 09:55 PM
 
Location: Oregon, formerly Texas
10,016 posts, read 7,157,180 times
Reputation: 17106
Quote:
Originally Posted by texasdiver View Post
I expect on average library spending in OR is within the normal range because bigger cities like Portland and Eugene have pretty extensive and well supported library systems.

The whole library thing came up because certain rural counties in Southern Oregon notoriously voted to defund their libraries. If I remember it was Douglas County (Roseburg) and also Josephine County (Grant's Pass) but I'm too lazy to google. I don't think there is actually any state-level funding for libraries. At least not much.

We are talking more about defunding schools and services in rural Oregon, not statewide as Portland and suburbs mostly pick up the slack in urban OR.
You're right, Oregon as a whole spends a respectable amount on libraries, one of the higher per capita. Douglas county, southern Oregon is the outlier here. https://www.amacad.org/humanities-in...unding-sources

Eastern Oregon supports their libraries, e.g: they love their library in Vale.

Deschutes county just passed an enormous $200 million library bond.
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Old 12-14-2020, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
12,997 posts, read 7,371,740 times
Reputation: 9722
South Tillamook Co, Pacific City has a nice library. IIRC, residents funded the building, Tillamook co, pays for everything else. It's well used by the locals, visitors, and students.
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Old 12-15-2020, 09:54 AM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,509 posts, read 40,231,078 times
Reputation: 17383
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz View Post
I don't necessarily disagree. My point with that post was that if I thought access to a good public library system was important to me, I would not be living in rural Oregon. Honestly I think libraries in rural areas are a waste of money at this point. No matter how much money is spent on rural libraries, they will never have a good selection of books. Plus I'm not sure it's really that important anymore. These days most all books can be read online, for a nominal cost, that most everyone should be able to afford.

Libraries have certainly served their purpose, but I don't see a future for them. I don't think Oregon should spend any more money on libraries. Maybe the money could instead be used to subsidize internet access and Amazon Kindles for people who can't afford them. I think that would be a better use of the money.
You know you can get e-books from your local library? I check them out all the time from the Salem library. I know my tax dollars pay for the rights to pay for that. Libraries also pay for all sorts of speakers and authors to come through. Salem paid for the reptile man and the guy that has all of the parrots/tucans, kids authors etc to come through. My kids loved those things as did I.
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Old 12-15-2020, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,586,362 times
Reputation: 25230
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz View Post
I don't necessarily disagree. My point with that post was that if I thought access to a good public library system was important to me, I would not be living in rural Oregon.
It's more important to those who don't have a choice in where to live. That includes, but is not limited to, anyone under the age of 18.
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Old 12-16-2020, 08:07 PM
 
Location: Oregon Coast
15,225 posts, read 8,830,400 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell View Post
It's more important to those who don't have a choice in where to live. That includes, but is not limited to, anyone under the age of 18.
That gets back to my second point. Most all books can be read online, for a price most everyone can afford. So why is it so important for anybody of any age to have access to a good library? It's never been a better time for a kid to grow up in a small town. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. We had no real school library. We did have small classroom libraries which consisted of a few hundred books on a shelve chosen for each grade level. The towns public library was one small room in the basement of the community center, which had a couple thousand books and maybe that many more on the bookmobile. I had access to maybe 5,000 library books at most. Any kid today, no matter where they live, with a Kindle and a good internet connection, has access to millions of books.

Libraries are just old way thinking. Internet is what educates and informs adults and kids today, not libraries. That said, I do think school libraries are one place where it makes sense to spend some money. But public libraries are a waste of money IMHO. I haven't been in a public library in over 10 years, but from what I hear these days libraries are nothing but a place for homeless people to hang out in the daytime. Which is another problem, that maybe some of the money that could be saved from closing libraries could be directed towards.

This is an old commercial but still a good one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sXmRae8Lk
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Old 12-17-2020, 02:24 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,611 posts, read 57,597,402 times
Reputation: 46044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverfall View Post
You know you can get e-books from your local library? ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz View Post
That gets back to my second point. Most all books can be read online, for a price most everyone can afford. So why is it so important for anybody of any age to have access to a good library? ...
This is an old commercial but still a good one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sXmRae8Lk
Wow, you live rural and have access to the internet!

You are definitely privileged!


I have found far better rural internet access in most foreign countries I have lived and worked, than in USA. Interesting that in Northern UK, the rural communities were supplied fiber by co-ops similar to how the rural USA was 'wired' in the 1930's and 40's via REA's. I guess we've 'advanced' too much for that (Now forced into 'Commercially viable'). Which will NEVER be the case for those of us surviving inside the CGNSA. The "Friends of the Gorge" will assure that! Fiber is 200' from my front door, but inaccessible to me (only used for 'empty' libraries and 'incompetent but well funded' schools) Need Commerce (or email / bank access) ? Must move to town.
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Old 12-17-2020, 02:37 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,611 posts, read 57,597,402 times
Reputation: 46044
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverfall View Post
You know you can get e-books from your local library? ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz View Post
That gets back to my second point. Most all books can be read online, for a price most everyone can afford. So why is it so important for anybody of any age to have access to a good library? ...
This is an old commercial but still a good one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_sXmRae8Lk
Wow, you live rural and have access to the internet!

You are definitely privileged!


I have found far better rural internet access in most foreign countries I have lived and worked, than in USA. Interesting that in Northern UK, the rural communities were supplied fiber by co-ops similar to how the rural USA was 'wired' in the 1930's and 40's via REA's. I guess we've 'advanced' too much for that (Now forced into 'Commercially viable'). Which will NEVER be the case for those of us surviving inside the CGNSA. The "Friends of the Gorge" will assure that! Fiber is 200' from my front door, but inaccessible to me (only used for 'empty' libraries and 'incompetent but well funded' schools) Need Commerce (or email / bank access) ? Must move to town.
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Old 12-17-2020, 11:17 AM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,509 posts, read 40,231,078 times
Reputation: 17383
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
Wow, you live rural and have access to the internet!

You are definitely privileged!


I have found far better rural internet access in most foreign countries I have lived and worked, than in USA. Interesting that in Northern UK, the rural communities were supplied fiber by co-ops similar to how the rural USA was 'wired' in the 1930's and 40's via REA's. I guess we've 'advanced' too much for that (Now forced into 'Commercially viable'). Which will NEVER be the case for those of us surviving inside the CGNSA. The "Friends of the Gorge" will assure that! Fiber is 200' from my front door, but inaccessible to me (only used for 'empty' libraries and 'incompetent but well funded' schools) Need Commerce (or email / bank access) ? Must move to town.
Rural internet access is shameful in the US.

With Kindle, you can download the book so you only need internet access for a short bit. Then it is housed on the device. It isn't like streaming. I know Salem library allows you to check out 3 e-books at a time.
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