"Libraries are Socialist" argument?

[Knightskye]

What should we say in response to the counter-argument that "libraries are socialist"?

It's true, which makes it hard to dismiss.

Speaking of libraries, I got an e-mail from my local library that complained about Chris Christie wanted to cut funding to libraries.

I mean, no matter where someone proposes cutting some program, there's always someone saying, "Don't cut it." What's he supposed to cut?

[Pennsylvania]

Well, what was the original argument?

[FrankRep]

The Boston Public Library of 1895 wasn't the result of Progressivism/Communism/Socialism.

People donated money to help build it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Public_Library#History.2C_architecture.2C_a nd_collections


Josiah Quincy, Jr. anonymously donated $5,000 to begin the funding of a new library. Quincy made the donation while he was mayor of Boston. Indirectly, John Jacob Astor also influenced the establishment of a public library in Boston. At the time of his death, Astor bequeathed $400,000 to New York to establish a public library there. Because of the cultural and economic rivalry between Boston and New York, this bequest prompted more discussion of establishing a public library in Boston. In 1848, a statute of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts enabled the creation of the library. The library was officially established in Boston by a city ordinance in 1852.


Charity-funded Libraries or Capitalist-funded Libraries would work very well. This isn't Socialism: It's Charity, which is good.

[nate895]

Libraries could be easily funded through private donations. That's how modern libraries originated in the first place.

[emazur]

If you're not an anarchist (I'm not) you can explain how libertarians aren't hell bent against all government, they just small, constitutional government. Local libraries are fine so long as they aren't funded with federal money (Constitution doesn't provide for libraries) and so long as they don't bust the local budget. Our (at least my) targets are the cancerous federal programs and departments like Social Security, Medicare, the Fed, IRS, and such.

Private libraries are out there - think Netflix, or its book equivalent:
http://www.booksfree.com/

I would actually vote in favor of funding a local public library system. Or at least, public libraries would probably be the last things I would abolish in a libertarian society.

[tremendoustie]

What should we say in response to the counter-argument that "libraries are socialist"?

It's true, which makes it hard to dismiss.

Speaking of libraries, I got an e-mail from my local library that complained about Chris Christie wanted to cut funding to libraries.

I mean, no matter where someone proposes cutting some program, there's always someone saying, "Don't cut it." What's he supposed to cut?

Libraries can easily be funded by donations, late fees, etc.

[TastyWheat]

If they leased space for a coffee shop they could get a fair bit of revenue that way. Either way I'd probably donate money if they asked.