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reask on 06 September 2008
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mrstickball said:

Really stupid and anecdotal, but it really ticks me off.

If people don't know, my fiancee' works at a library - long regarded as a very good, solid institution of learning outside of school. A must-have for those that want to study on subjects outside of what school offers.

But lately, it seems (at least in my area), libraries are degrading themselves from insitutions of learning, into random entertainment centers for welfare-bound citizens.

 

At my library, it seems that the stupidity is only growing, as they recieved a large sum of money ($10m USD) from a patron.

So what does my library now offer due to this generous sum of money?

  • A robust DVD collection of all the timeless favorites that Blockbuster offers - the library gets the DVD's faster than any rental shop in town. And it's free.
  • A policy that allows any patron to come in, and sign up for renting up to 4 DVDs per visit to the library. Some patrons come in 7 days a week, and rent 4 DVD's each day.
  • Oh, and the fiction DVD section outweighs non-fiction (ie, historical) by about 3:1 or even 4:1.
  • Blu-Ray DVD's (soon)
  • 20+ Internet Capable desktops. Not that it's a huge issue....Except for the fact that 70% of the time, the computers are used for Halo, MMOs or porn & dating

And the kicker: They will be "renting" out Xbox 360's, Wiis and video games for both consoles. Entirely free, to the public.

Now, some might say "OMG, YOU HAVE THE COOLEST LIBRARY EVER", which at first, sounds great. But lets think about it: Rather than help students, or people learn, they are entirely dedicated to catering to get people in the library, regardless of the reason. Am I the only one that thinks this is stupidity at it's finest?

 

 No; more snobbery imo do you not think people less well off should have acess to this?