But how do we convince the American citizenry that libraries are an essential part of democracy that uplifts those who seek education? Most people would agree that libraries are great for education. But agreement is not the same as excited and inspired advocacy. One possible way to create excitement about libraries is to make the argument that libraries are inherently patriotic and guardians of democracy.
This is not to say that the job of libraries is only to help users maintain their right to read materials that might otherwise be banned. This is a matter of the First Amendment in the sense that library patrons themselves need to understand how to stand up for themselves in society. Ignorance and lack of education forces many people into poverty or other dire straits. Equality of access to information allows people to uplift themselves out of these situations. Equality of access to information is also a watchdog against tyranny. Only by being informed can the citizen resist attempts to disenfranchise a person from their democratic rights. This is not only equality of access to the information of how the rights are being challenged but also equality of access to the information that allows the citizen to resist injustice.
Wait a minute? But have not we been told that libraries are becoming obsolete with all this availability of information on the Internet and in digital formats? College students can do all the research they need from databases! Kids can just download books on their eReaders! There is more equality of access than before... right? And none of this is every going to become obsolete or cost more than the average person's discretionary income (who remembers the Kobo?)... The problem is equality of opportunity to access information. Is every child, college student, and out of work father going to purchase an eReader? Will all users have equal access to fast Internet connections and up to date personal computers? Is all this information they can access truly useful and informative? What kind of literacy are we using in the 21st century?
Move on to reading about 21st century literacy. To infinity and beyond...