[tokai]

Luckily are public libraries not run on gut feelings and personal semantics. The purpose of libraries in Finland is defined by the Library Act, which states that public libraries should provide[0]:

1) equal opportunities for everyone to access education and culture;

2) availability and use of information;

3) reading culture and versatile literacy skills;

4) opportunities for lifelong learning and competence development;

5) active citizenship, democracy and freedom of expression.

You might like a quite place to read, but if society pays it should get more than sleepy reading halls. I find that the fetishising of books and silent library spaces is a nostalgic fantasy championed by people that rarely actually use libraries, while they are unaware that libraries are the most used cultural institutions in many countries. There is not a single good reason to limit libraries to disseminate the printed book as the only document. Other than elitism.

[0] https://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/2016/en20161492.pdf

[Emma_Goldman]

Since when was studying a 'nostalgic fantasy'?

In the UK, libraries are something like social centres: unemployed people go there to read; retired people read the daily papers; people without the internet at home come to use the computers; children come after school until their parents finish work.

It's important that there are public spaces like that. It's a lifeline for some people.

But most public libraries in the UK are, for those exact reasons, very poor places to study.

[tokai]

>Since when was studying a 'nostalgic fantasy'?

Studying is not a nostalgic fantasy. Giving opinions on how public libraries should be run, without any relation to reality is. If you go through the library act I posted you will find that providing silent study places is NOT an object that Finnish public libraries should fulfil. It makes no sense to criticise public libraries for not providing what they shouldn't provide.People that want silent study places can go to academic libraries.

>retired people read the daily papers; people without the internet at home come to use the computers; children come after school until their parents finish work.

All things that would be less of, if the public library room were to be a silent tomb.

>It's important that there are public spaces like that. It's a lifeline for some people.

Exactly. The nostalgic fantasy I'm criticising carlospwk for is that public libraries are "noisy, too relaxed and not geared towards actual studying". Not really a position that fosters the needs of the diverse population of patrons.

[carlospwk]

>Exactly. The nostalgic fantasy I'm criticising carlospwk for is that public libraries are "noisy, too relaxed and not geared towards actual studying". Not really a position that fosters the needs of the diverse population of patrons.

I could have maybe worded myself better. I don't really care what people do in a library, I just wish it was silent and peaceful like it was before.

[tokai]

I kind of pounced on your comment, as I'm opposed to a restricted view of libraries. But I think I was a bit too snippy trying to get my point across. I'm sorry, didn't intent to call you out.

I actually had a laugh at myself just after posted my second comment. As had to break up a group of patrons where having a teleconference with multiple laptops, on speaker, in study section. Guess there is a limit even in noisy libraries!

[carlospwk]

>I find that the fetishising of books and silent library spaces is a nostalgic fantasy championed by people that rarely actually use libraries, while they are unaware that libraries are the most used cultural institutions in many countries.

I don't fetishise books. I welcome e-readers, computers and whatever devices you can use to gather information. It's great that there's a 3D printer and all kinds of facilities. I'm just sad to see one of the last silent public spaces to die off.