Libraries have always been in the business of collecting and sharing stories. What's changing in 21st century stories is whose stories are being collected and how they're being shared.
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| Reading Room of the Library of Congress |
Traditionally, libraries have been the warehouses for the world's cultural and historical stories. They've housed religious texts, epic poetry, accounts of kings and noblemen. These were most often the stories of a few made available to the few. Closed stack temples stored knowledge.
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| New York Public Library |
Accessibility changed with the advent of the modern public library. People could walk in and gain access to a wide variety of stories just by asking. The assumption was that sharing these stories would lead to the betterment of society. People who read the cultural and historical stories of Western civilization would become more literate, better educated and be better informed citizens and voters, particularly in the U.S. democratic process.
It didn't take long for some disagreements to arise over just what stories should be shared. While the great works of Western civilization certainly had merit, what many people actually wanted to read was more popular fiction. By collecting and sharing these stories, were libraries abdicating their responsibility toward improving society by educating citizens? Or were they meeting the needs of their public by providing stories that entertained and resonated with their lives?
In recent years, the debate over the role of libraries has intensified. It's all too common to hear people say libraries just aren't necessary any more as people can get their information and entertainment from the Internet. I would argue that libraries are still performing their role of collecting and sharing stories and are perhaps serving an even more important role.
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West Chester Public Library
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ |
Now, the stories shared may be in a multitude of formats: hardcover, paperback or large print books, graphic novels, audiobooks on CD, downloadable audio or ebooks, DVDs. In the case of downloadables, people don't even need to come into the library to find stories to read or listen to. They can do so from wherever they happen to be via their computer, smart phone, tablet or other device. Yet the library continues to be a hub for sharing.
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| Multnomah County Library |
Librarians are still sharing their expertise via traditional reference interactions and readers' advisory services. Some libraries like Multnomah County Library have found innovative ways to promote these services. In addition, libraries often share space for people to come and participate in book and craft groups, lectures and discussions. They may provide space for volunteers to help with income tax or health insurance questions. Libraries in the 21st century are still places for people to share knowledge, ideas, expertise. And what are the free alternatives?
Montana State Library and other libraries are working with pilot programs such as Makerspaces and Share Your Story as part of a continuing effort to move from a strictly expert - learner model to one of more collaborative and cooperative sharing. This move along with providing access to user generated content is producing some controversy in the library world from those who see the key role of librarians as gatekeepers of quality. And it also differs somewhat from the original role as keepers of the dominant culture's history and civilization. But it might encourage a resurgence of an even older tradition of story telling.
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| Billings Public Library |
People come into libraries today not just to learn about the stories of their culture, but also many others from around the world. In addition, they are learning how to share their own stories whether its by honing computer skills that will enable them to apply successfully for jobs or perhaps to connect with friends and family across the world. They might also take part in classes that will help them write memoirs or poetry or fiction and share their thoughts and experiences with others.
These works may not all join the ranks of great literature but they may be invaluable to future historians or descendants. Libraries are providing a service by enabling people to connect and create within their communities today by linking them with stories from the past. Hopefully, by helping people share their stories and collecting these, we will be facilitating the collecting and sharing of stories into the future as well.
