In Time of War

In the face of war time crises, libraries often play the role of a sort of public parent on the behalf of the public. With attention focused on winning a war, libraries often find themselves reflecting their environment (i.e. - teaching an anxious public about the war) and shouldering additional burdens in order to help the war effort. These burdens are often heavy loads as well. During wartime, funding for public libraries tends to be neglected. This would seem to indicate that society regards the library as a sort of fringe benefit for being a citizen of the United States, as opposed to the library as being an important public institution.

Libraries during wartime also face problems of censorship. Books with useful war information are generally taken off shelves during such times. Books about bomb making for example are not en vogue during a time of national crisis.

In the past, libraries during wartime were also the place where the public learned about the war. Maps, troop movements, and important news could all be found at the library.

In the aftermath of September 11th, librarians reacted to war in the way that they so often do. The prominent material displayed had to do with better understanding our potential enemies as well as providing an escape from horror through fiction.

The U.S.A. PATRIOT Act has raised some particularly difficult questions for librarians and library users. What will happen when a librarian is interrogated about the library use of one of his or her patrons? In the face of a supercharged government, what recourse would a librarian have other than to submit to Big Brother?