Sharing the Wealth
For me, the library is the great equalizer in our society. Simply by living in the Cincinnati area, each and every person has access to information and materials worth half a dozen college degrees. Economic class, race, religion, education level play no part. The doors are open to everyone equally and the library is one of the few places in society where this is so.
The poorest of citizens have the ability to read best-sellers, learn to use the Internet, or study world affairs through the latest periodicals. Anyone with a VCR or DVD player can view Oscar winning movies, enriching documentaries, or high-quality children’s shows. Anyone with audio equipment can revel in the joys of classical music, study jazz composers, or kick up her heels to country tunes. Any person with the desire to acquire technical skills in a given area, from plumbing to finances to hair-cutting, can find the information in the library system. It’s the resource for tax forms in April and voter information in November.
The library bridges the gap between rich and poor, the privileged and the challenged, by making knowledge available to all, free of charge. Knowledge is power and the library truly helps give power to the people.
