Why Is One US City Stripping the Word 'Public' from Public Library?

[proud2BlibKansan]

The public library is a uniquely American creation. Now we have to fight to keep it public.
May 2, 2011 |

"The word 'public' has been removed from the name of the Fort Worth Library. Why? Simply put, to keep up with the times." --From the Media release on the rebranding of the Fort Worth Library

Fort Worth, you leave me speechless. You’re certainly correct about one thing. The public library is indeed an institution that has not kept up with the times. But given what has happened to our times, why do you see that as unhealthy? In an age of greed and selfishness, the public library stands as an enduring monument to the values of cooperation and sharing. In an age where global corporations stride the earth, the public library remains firmly rooted in the local community. In an age of widespread cynicism and distrust of government, the 100 percent tax supported public library has virtually unanimous and enthusiastic support.

This is not the time to take the word “public” out of the public library. It is time to put it in capitals.s "public" now a dirty word? Fort Worth has stripped the word from its local library.

The public library is a singularly American invention. Europeans had subscription libraries for 100 years before the United States was born. But on a chilly day in April 1833 the good citizens of Peterborough, New Hampshire created a radical new concept—a truly PUBLIC library. All town residents, regardless of income, had the right to freely share the community’s stored knowledge. Their only obligation was to return the information on time and in good condition, allowing others to exercise that same right.

more . . . http://www.alternet.org/news/150819/why_is_one_us_city_stripping_the_word_'public'_from_public_library