Public Libraries: Their History and Existence in the Public Sphere

Public Libraries, as we know them, are a very recent invention. So, how has this history impacted the position of the public library in today's society? What is the role of the public library in providing free access to everyone to knowledge? I am writing this paper for two key reasons. As a student in Library Science, I am intrigued by the history of public libraries. Also, I am incited by the attack that has been begun on the public libraries to become another privatized public space.

So, through this paper, I am hoping to find my thoughts on those two topics. I have looked at the works of Fred Lerner, and hope to continue and compliment his work by adding a new dimension to his thoughts. I also hope to reflect on how libraries have entered his computer age, and how they will continue to thrive, if they continue to thrive. I also wish to take a look at the work of Dr. Ann Curry, who has written about the use of the public libraries, and the ways that they can facilitate public discourse. I see literacy as a key to democracy, and libraries as a pathway toward that literacy.

I hope to look not only at the history of public libraries in the United States, but to also look at their development in the developing world. I want to pursue the history of the Carnegie Library, both domestically and internationally, and hope to reason if they are, and how they are continuing to serve their purpose.

Finally, I plan to talk briefly about questions dealing with censorship. Where, as a librarian, do you draw the line between information that benefits the public, and the information that harms. It is a tricky balancing act, and one that has inspired much debate over the years.