A literate population ensures the longevity of a democracy. History has already shown that a democracy of ill-informed persons is in fact no democracy but mob rule. Can you imagine the difference if every political election in America was based on the well-informed and educated decisions of the citizenry? What if political discourse was clear and understandable to even the least of the educated? The list of possibilities is endless. The fact of the matter is that a literate population is not the same as an educated population. Learning the ideas that are behind democracy is only one part of the equation. Literacy ensures that the citizens truly understand democracy and the mechanisms behind it, while keeping them informed of the rapid changes that often sweep through societies and allowing them to make informed decisions. This goes beyond basic literacy. Information literacy includes valuable skills such as civic literacy, financial literacy, workplace literacy, health literacy, and many other types of literacy.
This is our country. 21st century librarians have their part to play. The world is a stage. Libraries are where we find the script for our part. We believe humans have unalienable rights. But rights without responsibility is only vanity and foolishness. Information is the key to making sensible decisions, regardless of political ideology. We have the freedom to choose, but do we know how to choose?
When was the last time you made a decision? Was it educated? How did you arrive at your conclusion? The job of the 21st century librarian is to help citizens make that informed choice!