Manners and Morals in the Public Library

Most Interesting Sentence: "[W]e find Harris condemning the public library as a rigid, cold, moralistic and elitist enterprise while Garrison fumes about it as too homey, passive and suppliant" (Fain, 99).

While I know that librarianship is not perfect, I am among the many that thinks that Michael Harris is just overreacting in order to spark a debate in library circles. Obviously, libraries and librarians have not always been perfect, and they have not always behaved in the ways that we would have liked them to behave. Librarians have not always been brave when it comes to matters of race, but I also do not believe that librarians were out to mold society in the image of American elites, either.

I find Garrison's argument much more compelling (perhaps because I am a man). I would much prefer that a library would look like the Seattle Public Library than That Library That Looks Like My Aunt's Rec Room. In the future, I would like to see libraries become like information meccas. Even my favorite libraries have a "homey" feel as described by Garrison. At the same time, I do appreciate a friendly and helpful librarian.

The distinction that Garrison draws between school teachers and librarians is an interesting one. Perhaps if the library had a "tougher" image, it would not be so odd for me, the male of the species, to express interest in this profession.