Thread

Japan's book scene is moving from bookstores to libraries

241 points · 113 comments · herbertl

akman · 1789595265 · focus · HN ↗
As the author noted, I see libraries becoming more and more centers of community, notably in the Bay Area (California, USA). Just check out the events at all of the Santa Clara County library system (8 libraries that share books): <a href="https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?_gl=1*11u0hec*_ga*MTI0MTAxODk0NS4xNzg2NTEyMjY1*_ga_G99DMMNG39*czE3ODk1OTQ5MTMkbzMkZzAkdDE3ODk1OTQ5MTQkajU5JGwwJGgw*_ga_C5XQHLX1NN*czE3ODk1OTQ5MTMkbzMkZzAkdDE3ODk1OTQ5MTQkajU5JGwwJGgw*_ga_C79ES1D7Q4*czE3ODcyODU5NjUkbzIkZzAkdDE3ODcyODU5NjUkajYwJGwwJGgw" rel="nofollow">https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?_gl=1*11u0hec*_ga*M...
Many events aren't even book related-- see events for Lego building, homework help, even Dungeons and Dragons events.
I wonder if there's a resurgence across the world where libraries are places of community sharing.
1. carabiner · 1789595571 · focus · HN ↗
  In Seattle they're mostly homeless shelters.
  1. popalchemist · 1789596130 · focus · HN ↗
    In LA, it's about 50/50. But in case you aren't aware, this is one of the purposes of libraries.
    TulliusCicero · 1789598023 · focus · HN ↗
    It really shouldn't be. We should have dedicated shelters for that.
    Relying on libraries to be de facto homeless shelters is bad for everyone compared to the alternative of dedicated facilities. It's worse for homeless people, worse for the library and staff, and worse for patrons.
    bobthepanda · 1789612857 · focus · HN ↗
    The problem is that we’ve wound up in an unhappy place due to the weird perverse incentives of ideology. Taking homeless people off the street, whether to a hospital or jail, costs a lot of money; so we lack something to do in a climate where a good chunk of the populace is rabidly against paying more money for anything.
    TulliusCicero · 1789628057 · focus · HN ↗
    I think you're right that people are against these things, but wrong about the reasons.
    Taking homeless people to jail because they're homeless just seems stupid and pointless, not to mention harmful to the person going to jail.
    Shelters have the issue where people don't want them near where they live (for often justifiable reasons) but obviously they have to go somewhere.
    bobthepanda · 1789657533 · focus · HN ↗
    I say this because this country has a history of dismantling systems and then not paying for replacements.
    We did it with state institutions, which were supposed to be replaced by community mental health centers but that never happened. And then we did it with jail overcrowding reduction, where we didn’t set up adequate recidivism reduction programs.
    Before the recent pivot to tough on crime, a lot of sentencing reform was started by Republican led states, simply because jail costs a lot of money.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.