I have noticed a tendency in many areas of life that the younger generation no longer seeks the wisdom of the elders. Along with this is the idea that the past doesn't matter -- we live in a different age and things are done different now, so why bother understanding what was done before. I have a hard time accepting this on many fronts: first, I grew up with my grandmother living in our house, so I always had the perspective of "the elder" in my life, and loved hearing her stories. I also ended up being a history major in college, so have a natural love for "the past." Third, life experience has told me that the past is important, and the more we understand about it, the better we are able to look at where we are and move forward toward a better future.
This brings me to today's topic in our Public Library Management Institute training -- our speakers, Don Reynolds and Lynnette Smith, experts on the subject, shared not only the illustrious and fascinating history of the library since the earliest time possible, but also the more specific history of the library in Tennessee. It's amazing how much of that history crossed the path of my own life.
When they shared about Mary Utopia Rothrock, an amazing woman who began "bringing the library to the workers" in coordination with TVA in 1933, I began to think about my father, who worked for TVA for over 30 years and told me stories about the men who built the dams in our state. Now I know that Ms. "Topie" was the woman who would bring the men books, thus starting the "bookmobile" system for our state. She would be proud to know that today, Tennessee has over 300 public libraries, up from her mere 16 in the 1930s. Libraries should still be about "getting the library to the workers"!
Another amazing fact that I learned today is that Tennessee is the lowest in literacy for the United States --that's number 50 out of 50, and that's not a good record. Our libraries are also the lowest in public funding. Do you see a correlation? If I learned anything today (though instinctively, I already knew it), it is that wherever libraries are, there you find a better community. Libraries provide the community with the access they need to knowledge, and with that knowledge people grow and improve and excel and get work and contribute to society. Libraries are truly a vital part of our towns and cities and we cannot continue to ignore their importance and need for funding and support. I learned a lot from the presentations today -- the past is important to know and can remind us how crucial libraries were in the past and continue to be today.
I realize that in spite of all the work we have to do as library directors, our most important role is to to help our communities realize how important libraries have been in shaping our nation and helping people prepare themselves for happy and productive lives. We must help them understand that libraries will continue to be crucial as a place where people can gather to educate themselves, exchange ideas and help create a better future for themselves and their communities.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do think we have an important role in sharing the history of our communities with the new generations. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteI realized, like you, that the literacy problem has a direct link to libraries. Where libraries thrive, the community grows, intellectually and creatively.
ReplyDeleteExactly! We have to get that message to the masses!
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