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Libraries and lifelong learning go together.

But the interesting thing is how to do it. As a famous wicked witch once said- "these things must be done delicately."

Now for a slight detour, eh.

I myself feel that libraries are democratic institutions that use shared resources to benefit not only the community, but to support the more universal values of the Enlightenment and help people become educated, tolerant, and diverse human beings. This is one way that mankind gets off the dogmatic, uneducated, consumerist treadmill and escapes being clones who listen to the same things, read the same things, and think the same things. Clones who shelter themselves from ideas that challenge, music that stimulates, and films that expect them to be intelligent themselves.

And it is the librarians that have as their mission the job of running these institutions and selecting the materials that best support these goals. Yes, selecting based on knowledge of resources, on reviews, on the needs of the community, and on making the world a better place.

So lifelong learning is important but so is learning in order for mankind to survive the next few billion years until the sun swallows the earth. It would be nice if on the day before that event occurs someone got to watch Lawrence of Arabia, or experience a Shakespeare play, or even was able to finish "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Any other thoughts about libraries and the ultimate fate of mankind?