The Brisbane Library and Special Interest Groups

The Brisbane Public library does not participate in any specific interest group, however the Library does allow local organizations to rent library space and put up posters, but the type of organization is varied although it seems to be more about mothers, children, and the local school. The Library does not attend local city council meetings unless the Library it's self will be a topic of discussion and even then they only send one person to speak on their behalf if at all. The library's lack of direct interaction with interest groups I believe comes from the need to not alienate any possible people who will use the library. The community is small to begin with and any sort of downturn of community use could become a serious problem. The library also attempts to bring as many community members through it's doors by creating a free space for political or other special interests groups can put posters and flyers as long as they are not too extreme or vulgar. The fact that the Library is not vocal at local town meetings was astonishing to me as it could help to produce solutions to better the involvement of the library in the community and gauge the opinions on the people they service. For example if they went to the meeting and discovered that most of those involved are left leaning they might want to stock up on books that reflect that trend.

Public Libraries and the Community

The Brisbane Library's dependency on the community is to my recent understanding not any different from other communities, but is simply more apparent because the community is so small. Most times there is only one public library per community which makes the relationship between the two a simple give and take. Without the resources of the library the people would have no need for it and without the people the library would have no reason to be there. The Brisbane Library is very good at meeting the needs of it's community almost good to a fault. The library is small and to make room for books that the community wants to read ( mostly paperback mysteries) the library is taking other more classic and of literary notoriety out. The library also provides story time,tutors and community events like a magician and animals from the zoo. The library also has meetings or deals with other local organizations, such as the Mothers of Brisbane and lets them use the library for meetings. Citizen participation allows the library to not only function but function in ways that allow it to remain an integral part of the community even though at times it is not about the books that line the shelves. Public libraries and in regards to the Brisbane public library have successfully created a system where the people need the library and the library needs the people of the community and they can work closely together to better each other.

Martin Luther King Jr

"The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men." ( Lyndon B Johnson). Martin Luther King Jr is the public face of the Civil Rights Movement and through his legendary acts of nonviolent protests,such as marches and acts of civil disobedience. Through such methods he was able to ensure the right to vote for African Americans. Until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 state and local governments made it almost impossible for African Americans to vote even with the 15th amendment in place to keep such things from happening. Martin Luther King did not simply help to gain the right to vote for a disenfranchised people, but by extension he was able to make state and local governments accountable for local practices that infringed on constitutional rights. The trials that African Americans had to go through in order to vote such as police brutality, poll taxes and literacy tests are not the issues that face current African Americans or any other voter for that matter, but it is also untrue to say that there are no longer racial issues that could discourage someone from wanting to vote but the likelihood that it is on the same scale as the 1960s is very slim.

The Possible End of Libraries

Public Libraries are one of the most underfunded public institutions and face the most external threats to their staying around. While Libraries are enjoyed by the public they are in many cases no longer as useful as they once were, now in competition with encyclopedia sites online such as Wikipedia and Ebooks for cheaper prices. Working with a Public Library, (particularly a struggling one in a small community) will provide me a clearer picture to how Public Libraries are adapting to the more technology needs of the people and how they operate and receive funding.