In a time of fiscal crisis for local/state governments, what would you like to have better funded: Your local police department or library? Perhaps more funding can be diverted to schools also.
I do love my local public library. It has a great selection of books and periodicals. It is very relaxing to just sit there and browse. It is essentially a free educational/entertainment place. I would also like a branch of the Louvre to be in my city but I understand that is impractical.
I also notice most people use the library for internet access. There is the spillover effect where some people get tired of reading their emails, and may browse the book racks, but only infrequently.
Libraries shouldn't be spending money for automation and bandwith. There are internet cafes and many WIFI spots that do a better job at this without using public funds.
There is also the issue of ideological bias from those that purchase books and the media for your local library. Did you or any the other local taxpayers ask for a whole shelf of Rush Limbaugh books?
There are also websites like amazon.com and 'netflix for books' http://www.booksfree.com/ where you can get any book, book on tape, etc. you want.
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There are certain basic social functions that permit society to cohere such as the police, public education, the medical systems, water supply, and the public library. Any of these can be made more productive and efficient by additional private auxiliary additions but the basics form a backbone structure and elimination of any components of this basic structure undermines social function and the fundamental qualities of a proper society.
I am a bit of an elitist. I think I know what 'quality' means in terms of art and literature. But public goods shouldn't be subject to my 'elitist' tastes or the tastes of a library purchasing manager. I would like the people to adopt my love and conception of the culture and education, but that's unrealistic and frankly coercive.
Perhaps it is nice to know that some people in the more run-down neighbourhoods have a place to go to get away from it all.
It strikes me like the idealistic city planners building 'Lincoln Heights' etc. and putting a marble chess board and park benches in the middle of what is now known as the ghetto.
I'm sure the idealistic planners believed - in an almost Marxist way - that lower income people would have nothing to do but to expand their minds, compose symphonies, read Shakespeare, and spend Sundays with their children relaxing in the park. It would be nice to have every city in the states with their own symphony orchestra and theater group, but funding is not infinite.
And there is nothing inherently democractic with a library. The books are purchased based on the decisions of some library manager who gets her recommendations from some journal or government publication. Public funds from all people in the region are used for purchases without their consent. They may never use the service their whole lives.
This is not a "barbarians at the gate" end of culture issue. If you look at libraries as a repository of knowledge, we're more than covered by the internet and the myriad of university collections and major state libaries of the world.
The aristocratic contempt obvious in denying free community services for those unable have income enough to spend on the latest technologies is a strong force in denegrating the total quality of life in a community. Poor people are not necessarily stupid nor culturally gifted just as those better off financially are not by that intellectually and culturally better endowed. The maintenance of easy availability of the riches of cultural heritage can only improve the quality of life of the total community. The USA is becoming infamous in the steep slide of its educational and cultural levels and is rapidly heading towards losing the leadership of the world in science which is a real tragedy for the country. Investment in the capabilities of its citizens had stood Japan very well in its world position as it has few other natural resources to gain it riches. The USA would do well to learn by this lesson.