The Costs
Of Non-Access: Why We Should Talk About The Impacts Of Not Investing In Libraries
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| @artefactors |
A
lot of advocacy for libraries focuses on showing the return that our
institutions provide on investment. Through this, we work to demonstrate that
however much governments or other funders spend, the value created by the
presence and work of libraries is more.
These
arguments can be very helpful at times when governments need to take decisions,
by building the case for choosing a new, renovated, expanded or enhanced
library.
What
we tend to do less is explore what are the costs of not acting. In other words,
what are government and societies missing out on, if they do not allocate
resources to the library? What harms can this cause to the achievement of wider
social, economic and cultural goals?
A case for a literacy programme that increases reading confidence and performance can also be presented as an avoidance of cost – without the library’s intervention, participants would be less likely to read, both reducing demand for books, and leaving them less able to cope with information around them.
Similarly, an argument for having a space to welcome local community groups can also be phrased in terms of the cost of not having such a space. Forcing groups to meet in private or commercial spaces may exclude individuals, or simply make these sorts of meetings impractical.
This
would have a negative effect on community cohesion and civic engagement.
Provision of internet access and internet-enabled devices offers another example. The costs of non-access to the internet through public centres such as libraries will, for some people, mean significantly reduced possibilities to get online, for others it may mean none at all. READ MORE ➤➤
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