{"id":33262,"date":"2024-04-26T09:08:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T13:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=33262"},"modified":"2024-04-26T09:08:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T13:08:13","slug":"westbrooks-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/westbrooks-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Democracy Needs Libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With censorship on the rise, the University Librarian weighs in on the critical role these institutions play in civic and educational life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Elaine Westbrooks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democracy is not a perfect system of government\u2014but it\u2019s the best one we have. Based on the fundamental principle of human equality, it operates via the mechanism of community decision-making through individual choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Today, more than 80% of Americans report being concerned that democracy is under threat. And interestingly, when people are asked which political party poses the bigger risk, it\u2019s nearly a tie: Democrats believe that Republicans are responsible, and Republicans believe that Democrats are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we have one point of bipartisan agreement: the ship is sinking, and we blame each other for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bonds of social trust that serve and support democracy are deteriorating. For the past 40 years, Gallup and Pew have measured the level of confidence in U.S. structures.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Elaine
(Lindsay France \/ Cornell University)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust in government is declining, as is confidence in institutions across the board, including our healthcare and criminal justice systems, journalism, and Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one institution that remains trusted by Americans is our libraries. In fact, libraries always rank in the top two, along with the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Libraries are not in the business of making money, or of peddling ideas and getting people to think a certain way. What we do is collect, and not in just one area or from one perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not up to us to decide what you read, but it\u2019s our job to make it available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Libraries are not in the business of making money, or of peddling ideas and getting people to think a certain way.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we have materials that any particular individual might find offensive\u2014and that\u2019s exactly the way libraries should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This brings me to one of the symptoms of our unhealthy democracy: censorship. These attacks on our freedom to read should trouble everyone who values liberty and our constitutional rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A democratic society operates best when information flows freely and is freely available. Book bans place politics over the well-being and education of young people and everyone\u2019s right to access libraries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n