Ideas for free, just for free

My first ever “paycheck” job was with the Pasadena Public Library, shelving books when I was in high school.

(You know—a paycheck job, where you got paid with an actual check, not cash from mowing lawns or babysitting. It had taxes taken out, and stuff. It was real.)

Even before that, I was a big user of PPL—I mean, you had access to all these books on all sorts of different subjects…for free. What’s not to love?

And wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always been proud to get a library card of whatever system was on offer—university, city, county, whatever.

Libraries are part of the foundation of a democracy—you need an informed electorate to make informed choices about who should enact the will of the people. Education is a cornerstone of this principle, and that’s why we have public schools open to all children in this country. (Yeah—I’m not going to go into the quality of the education here.)

But free access to ideas is also crucial, and that’s why we have all kinds of library systems in our country. They’re rethinking how they carry out their mandate in these days of e-books, videogames and DVDs, but they still are absolute wonderlands as far as I’m concerned.

(How easy or difficult a civic entity makes getting a library card says a lot about the society. In both Maidenhead and Putney (England), I had to show proof that I paid (actually extortionate) council (property) taxes in those specific jurisdictions before they’d grudgingly hand over a card. Here in Santa Clara County, all I needed was a photo ID—not even showing a local address. I got cards to six different library systems off the back of my Washington state driver’s license and me saying I lived here.)

So, I was interested to come across this compilation of libraries that changed the world. (The title claims 25, but I only count 22 listed. Um.)

What’s sad is that many of them have been destroyed—an awful lot of political and religious leaders seem to be afraid of collections of books and the ideas they represent.

What’s heartening is that four of the 22 shown are in the US, starting with the Library of Congress. When the invading British troops burned the initial library along with much of Washington, D.C., in 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his entire collection of nearly 6500 volumes to begin the rebuilding of the national treasure.

I also love that Room to Read is taking the glorious opportunities of literacy and access to books to children in Asia and Africa.