Focus onUS investment immigration andAmerican life: Those who have lived in the United States will certainly be amazed by the advanced library system. Almost every small town has its own library (the area and population of small towns in the United States roughly correspond to a district of a Chinese city), and their numbers can even be described as scattered like stars. What is most commendable is the open, convenient, and electronic multifunctional services provided by the libraries.
Open to Everyone
The libraries referred to here specifically refer to public libraries that serve the public, excluding university libraries, private libraries, and presidential libraries among other categories. Public libraries are almost open to everyone; visitors can obtain a free library card by presenting valid identification with no deposit or fees, allowing them to borrow books, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs entirely free of charge.
The architecture of public libraries is mostly simple and functional, with many even having a history of nearly a century. Regardless of their size or age, they maintain a clean and comfortable reading environment filled with the aroma of books. People can not only read newspapers and magazines here but also use Wi-Fi and computers for free. Due to the high level of openness in libraries, even homeless individuals can enjoy these services, with many making the library their home, staying all day as long as they do not disturb the normal order.
In recent years, electronic reading has become prevalent worldwide, and the public library system in theUnited States has not fallen behind; rather, it has adapted and utilized this trend well.
On one hand, they are accelerating the digitization of valuable and historical collections; on the other hand, they are collaborating with several e-book providers. In this process, collaboration among libraries has deepened, and many libraries often join together to purchase expensive electronic book databases. As a result, each library only needs to contribute a small portion of the funds, allowing readers to borrow a large number of e-books for free, with support for reading on various mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, Kindles, and Samsung devices.
Shadow puppetry is also part of the service content
Loan services are just basic services; libraries also undertake several other public service functions.
For example, in Los Angeles County, the children's department at the Los Angeles Central Library has administrators who learn storytelling and perform shadow puppetry, scheduling regular times each month to entertain child audiences; staff in the young adult department must understand the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) as they provide testing consultation and career planning guidance for teenagers.
Additionally, the summer reading club is a routine feature in almost every library, many libraries regularly host small performances and exhibitions, and the Crowell Library in the small city of San Marino even offers passport application services. The library director, Ms. McDermott, has written a book specifically on how administrators should adapt to multi-functional roles.
To maintain such a large number of public service functions, sufficient human resources are required. However, the formal staff of libraries is not large, and most specialized services rely on volunteers. Libraries only need to provide the venue and funding, along with necessary training for volunteers.
Formal library staff belong to the government civil service system, generally possess degrees in library management, and are mainly responsible for budgeting, purchasing new books, cataloging books, and daily lending operations; they also participate in a significant portion of public service projects. Volunteers only get involved in specific projects, such as teaching English to new immigrants or serving as literacy tutors.
Moreover, each library has a board of directors with members from various backgrounds who provide advice from different fields and play a supervisory role, ensuring that the library meets various needs to the greatest extent possible. In theory, any citizen can apply to the city government to become a board member, but only candidates who are approved by a city council vote can hold the position, and board members are not compensated for their work.
Where does the funding come from?
Maintaining library operations requires significant funding. However, aside from a small amount of late return fines and rental fees, libraries have almost no income. So, where does the operational funding come from?
Again taking Los Angeles County as an example, its public library system is divided into two parts: one is the county library system, and the other consists of municipal libraries built independently by cities. Should the city join the county library system or establish its own library? The city council can vote on this. However, regardless of the choice made, unless there is no library, the city must allocate a certain percentage of its tax revenue each year (usually a portion taken from property taxes) as the primary funding source to maintain library operations.
The amount of funding varies depending on the city's size. For instance, Los Angeles City not only has a central library but also 72 branch libraries, forming its own system; Pasadena City also has a system composed of 10 libraries; while the small city of San Marino, with a population of only 13,000, only needs to establish one library.
Government funds can only be used for purchasing new books and paying employee salaries, which means sustaining daily library operations. How are other functions realized?
It turns out that each library has a foundation managed by professionals responsible for fundraising, which is only used for large expenditures related to fixed assets, such as building maintenance and new equipment purchases. Additionally, libraries also accept donations, which serve as funding for specialized services. Donors typically specify that this money must be used for particular purposes, such as children's education or services for young adults.
The First Library in the United States
Out of curiosity, I researched the origins and history of public libraries in the United States.
During the colonial period in North America, book resources were scarce and expensive; even the middle class could not afford them, and only a few wealthy families could read. In 1731, Benjamin Franklin thought of a solution – yes, the same Franklin who was one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence – along with some friends established the Philadelphia Library Company with a membership system. Membership fees were used to purchase books, and members could borrow for free, which became the first library in the United States.
Not long after, the Philadelphia Library began allowing non-members to borrow books, as long as they provided certain collateral. In the early 1740s, other cities outside of Philadelphia also began establishing libraries. Franklin believed that these libraries enhanced the level of daily conversations among people, enabling ordinary merchants and farmers to reach the intellectual standards of gentlemen in other countries, and they may have even contributed to raising awareness among colonists regarding their rights to some extent.
In 1876, American library specialist Melvil Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal Classification system, which classified books into 10 major classes, 100 intermediate classes, and 1,000 minor classes. That same year, he, along with a few like-minded individuals, established the American Library Association. It was the Dewey Classification system and the association that propelled the rapid popularization of public libraries throughout the entire United States.
Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was another significant figure in the development of public libraries in the United States. Born in Scotland, he rose from humble beginnings to establish his steel empire in the 1880s, becoming one of the richest individuals in the world at that time. In 1903, he donated $300,000 to establish one of the oldest libraries in Washington, D.C., and subsequently donated $60 million to establish 1,689 libraries across the United States, which were all open to the public free of charge, essentially making them true public libraries.
As time progresses, libraries play an even more important role in the daily lives of contemporary Americans. They serve not only as platforms for the dissemination of cultural knowledge but also as community leisure and entertainment venues; as study rooms for children after school, they are also classrooms for new immigrants to integrate into American society; they reflect the functioning of government and provide channels for people to give back to society. It can be said that the public library system has become a value transmission system that is widespread in American society, integrating various functions, gathering strengths from all walks of life, and operating with a sophisticated structure and efficient mechanisms.
