Time for another library land slogan - libraries are the people's universities. Public libraries serve a larger portion of the community than just about any other local government agency. Public libraries serve the entire population from the cradle to the grave. Libraries also offer outreach programs that reach special populations - folks in jail, kids in the detention center, homebound, family literacy participants, daycare providers and kids, head start participants, school teachers and students, new immigrants, adult learners, library story time programs and reading programs encourage the development of skills that will help kids succeed in life. Libraries offer meeting room space for all kinds of community organizations.
Libraries also provide public bulletin board areas for the distribution of information.
Libraries also function as a referral service - providing reference information for users to access other services, agencies and organizations. As access to technology and information becomes even more important libraries can equal the playing field by providing access for those who can't afford the cost personally. Or libraries could turn into yet another social space which leaves information, and thus power, in the hands of those who already have it. Some of the threats that currently face libraries are privatization efforts, family values activists, funding cuts, censorship attempts, and charging fees for accessing some services. I'd like to see more programs for kids and for families, areas for folks to meet and talk about books, av materials, politics, whatever.