Recently I Chanced on The County's Library System and They Asked for Comments About Their Services They Probably Regret Asking An Author.

Since they went to the trouble of making it easy to post comments about resident's experience with the library system in this rural area of west-central PA whose biggest (likely only, although the local newspaper once wrote on the front page that I was the second biggest celebrity in the area) celebrity is Phil who gets international attention on Groundhog Day here in Punxsutawney. But children's birthday parties occasionally make the front page so I didn't take it too seriously.

I have had nothing but bad experiences with the local library but am a big fan of libraries and librarians in general, so I welcomed the chance to make content - the new local librarian has failed to supply information for my community web site, information I had asked for and which she agreed to send.

Nevertheless, this was the association of multiple county libraries so I provided the following based on years of working with librarians.

Below is my reply:

 IF you want the truth...

I used to visit libraries often doing research for my books and was on the library committee for the National Press Club (I have published 19 books, 6 with major publishers) but with the advent of the Internet, especially after I got off a local dial-up connection when I was working for a wire service on USENET, I have not visited any library (except as an ADA advisor).

As an author and writer (published 18,000+ times) I am hard pressed to see any real ongoing role for local libraries except for people within walking distance, those with poor Internet access, or people who are not aware of the millions of books available for free on the Internet (there are very basic lists on www.15767.com - Free on the Internet.)

My partner reads very fast and goes through hundreds of Kindle books (for free) on Amazon. I read mainly histories from Thucydides to Churchill and constantly either have classical music or audiobooks playing at home or on the road.

I get everything from WAPO, The Guardian, and the NYT newspapers online along with Reuters, and professional magazines from Nature and Science to The Lancet and the NEJM. None of which are available at the library anyway.

Why would we visit a library even after the pandemic?

Broadband is likely to spread to rural areas during the Biden administration and when we get service out in the woods to equal that on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, then there will be even less need of a library building.

Perhaps we will see a deal to nationalize the Elon Musk StarLink cloud of space internet satellites? He is launching thousands in low Earth orbit. (I wonder how China will block that internet?)

Since so many of my close friends have been librarians I have struggled to find a future role for libraries and only come up with them as a MAJOR teaching/learning resource, not just a pile of books, but holding classes teaching what High School doesn't about Internet resources, how to do online research (I was a paid Google consultant teaching people how to search), encouraging young writers, showing people how they can get published, etc. but I am not certain librarians are prepared to take on a teaching role of that sort - it simply wasn't in their training.

I have worked closely with many librarians, mostly in New England and Washington - even dated several librarians - they are among my favorite people socially and ESPECIALLY in MENSA.

Unfortunately, I see little hope - an Australian study recently listed Librarian as one of the disappearing jobs and I explored that in my book "Life after the Pandemic."

"Life After a Pandemic" ebook  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087QM6FRB

paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089CSCM5V

Decades ago locally I had difficulty reconciling a local library's mission with discarding books I had written and donated (McGraw-Hill and Times Mirror) - in New England towns where I had lived, such as Winthrop, MA, local authors were promoted as part of a library's goal of spreading literacy.

More recently I was asked to help fundraise for a library teleconference system. I never heard back from the librarian after I pointed out she had Skype already installed on every Library computer. Other great software was free, and she only needed noise-cancelling headphones, not thousands of dollars worth of equipment. She is no longer the local librarian.

I would be happy to work with the local library system and even more happy to hear what the group sees as a future for this or any library system.

I am encouraged to see your web page solicits comments from county residents.

(I am less encouraged three months later not having heard back and having been told there was no space for my donation of Science, the premier U.S. science journal which includes many parts accessible to non scientists.)

John McCormick
Author Page https://www.amazon.com/John-A.-McCormick/e/B00287RNFS
Member, Union of Concerned Scientists

Member, AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
A 39-year member, National Press Club (Washington)

Children's book

"The Tale of a Worried Little Puppy"

https://www.amazon.com/kindle/dp/B08GP4CRYS/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_eos_detail

"Life After a Pandemic" 

ebook https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087QM6FRB

paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089CSCM5V

Everywhere I Turn There's A Wet Nose

  the love for and science of dogs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LYCL82

Visitor's guide to Groundhog Day (best as an ebook)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083NZ98JJ

"Preparing for Climate Change: Coastal flooding will cost the U.S. billions of dollars within two decades."

paperback second edition

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1082060615  

or ebook https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TYTG6ZC

eBOOK "Blockchain Made Simple" Blockchain is poised to revolutionize business and government data management. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCY7QPZ

PLEASE POST A COMMENT WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF LOCAL LIBRARIES IN A DIGITAL AGE.