At 17,566, there are more public libraries in the United States than there are Starbucks coffee shops. And just like at Starbucks, patrons have access to free wi-fi. But unlike Starbucks, public libraries will usually provide the free use of a computer as well as internet access.
Perhaps it is their very ubiquitousness that makes them such a tempting target for libertarians like the Koch brothers and right -wing economists like the one who recently suggested a takeover of libraries’ functions by Amazon.
Forbes quickly pulled the controversial op-ed by contributor Panos Mourdoukoutas, an economist and academic who felt that many of the functions of the local library, like free Wi-Fi, and movie rentals are already being filled by places like Starbucks and services like Netflix. Why shouldn’t Amazon open stores to provide books to the public? His argument included the fact that public libraries cost taxpayers money (gasp). It would be so much nicer for him if he did not have to contribute a couple of hundred dollars every year to American literacy. The American Library Association reports that the actual annual cost is $36.96 per person.
So, in order to save the cost of a single hard-backed book, we should privatize our public libraries and let Amazon determine what we should read, Starbucks can decide what websites we can visit, and Netflix can select our movie choices for us. How cool.
After some scathing Twitter criticism, Forbes withdrew the article, claiming that the subject matter was outside of the author’s area of expertise. But it’s unlikely the concept it contained was ever a serious threat. No way in hell would the spoiled, vengeful, petty tyrant currently occupying the Oval Office ever allow Jeff Bezos to expand his empire. Ever.
Perhaps if Mourdoukoutas had suggested Barnes & Noble it might have had a slim chance (but not really). For now, the idea has been knocked down with all of the scorn it deserved. But it is only one attack. There are always more.