Most Interesting Conflict: "A 1990 essay in the New Republic suggested another coinage to be added to Ritzer's list--McLibraries. Expressing his displeasure at the conversion of libraries into merchandise marts, its author, himself a librarian, urged a return to the traditional balance between the public library's function as a leisure activity and its role as an educational resource" (Molz & Dain, 32).
The conflict expressed in this sentence is a conflict that rears its ugly head often in the library profession. Should librarians serve as gatekeepers to "quality" knowledge, or should libraries try to appeal to more patrons by being more "fun" and letting the public consume the lowest common denominators that a given library has to offer?
George Ritzer urges a compromise. I would probably advocate a more "elitist" position, but such a position is not set in stone on my part. Ritzer does not want the library to be all serious or all entertainment. According to Ritzer, you should have both. In my own experience, this can be nice. I can recall checking out technical books on music while also renting a fun DVD. When I was younger, the library also had a very good CD collection. I appreciated what fine taste some of those librarians had as I got older.
If the library compromises, then you can make your own choices. You can go to the library to be entertained, or you can you it for more traditional, studious purposes. Sometimes a horrible Roger Moore 007 film is just what one needs to take the edge off...but I'm still not sure that Moonraker should be in the library.
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