MIS

"More often than not libraries mirror rather than oppose local politics and socioeconomic stratifications" - Tracie D. Hall

I found this to be a very interesting sentence. I find myself agreeing with it as well. Libraries are meant to treat everyone equally and are also supposed to be equal among themselves. However, it tends to be that the nicer libraries are in the nicer neighborhoods or communities. At first, when I started to take this class, I didn't realize there was such a difference and I thought people were making a big deal out of nothing. After reading the assigned readings I realize this is not the case and in fact I had grown up with the "yellow palace" and when I first came to the United States, I was amazed at how big the libraries are. After two years, I still can't navigate through one. I saw the communities I lived in mirrored in the libraries. I went from an Air Force community, which is thought of as being the "higher class" community out of the military to an Army community, which sadly is thought to be much "lower class". (Just to clarify, neither of these even make it into "higher class" unless their officers, all enlisted for both branches tend to have lower middle class economic status, one is just treated better than the other). These class differences are mirrored significantly in the libraries. Neither of the two libraries can compare with the United States libraries. When reading about the "yellow palace" I immediately thought of the two libraries I grew up with. I have to agree with this statement that local politics and socioeconomic stratifications are mirrored in the libraries.