MIS from "Thinking about Social Change in America"

"Trustworthiness lubricates social life" (page 21)

Because this sentence could possibly contribute to every single reading we do in this class, I think it is very important and effective. As we talked about social capital and look into the relationship between the community and and individual and how each benefits; the basis of this relationship is trust. In order for social capital and social life to flourish, trust needs to be established in the interaction of individuals. This quote is very much related to any personal interaction, in order to believe in a community and contribute to its expansion, one needs trust and to believe in the outcome. Social life is built upon trust in order to create "mutual benefit" between both an individual and its community. An entire community based upon trust and personal responsibility will generate a better community.

Technology Attracts

In addition, the Internet, which seemed to threaten its reason for being, turns
out to be one of the things that bring people to the library.

Many say that the technology today is driving people away from libraries and such, but this quote shows that technology not only doesn't drive people away, but actually attracts them even more. I believe that in the very near future libraries will not only house internet and computer access. But all technologies out there, including things such as Video Games, Cable T.V., Movie sections, and will not cease to expand from there.

We caught a glimpse of a documentary in class of the library systems in Princeton, NJ. One library had a video game station where anyone was priviledged to simply just play video games. Although at first glance it may seem like a bad idea, but when you look into it more, it was apparent that it attracted children to come into the library and keep them off the streets where it could lead to no good. Getting these children in the library is the first step, after that, they start to get curious and explore.

No one realizes how much some simple technology could attract more folk to libraries. Most of us take these simple things for granted, but there is a lot of people who can't afford cable, internet, or even renting a simple movie or two. I'm a strong believer that knowledge of technology today is just as important as reading. It is the future in which will dictate where this society is headed.

MIS Week 3

Throughout Putnam and Feldstein's "Better Together", I was extremely surprised at how highly they regard libraries, describing them as something that can shape and better communities. Honestly, this opened my eyes to a completely new perspective about the purpose of libraries (even though we have been talking about it in class, this made it more tangible to me) and how much they can offer. I chose the quote "a five to seven million dollar investment tells people in a neighborhood they're valued... in a community like Cabrini Green, starting with a library sends a very different and much more positive message than starting with a police station" (42). I've wavered on whether or not to agree with this quote. Maybe because I've never lived in a place that has made me feel undervalued, I never connected investments in a neighborhood with a feeling of acceptance, hope, and belonging. Furthermore, if I lived in a dangerous neighborhood, or one that was rundown, I do not think that I'd rather see a library built before a police station. Additionally, if a police station was built before a library I do not think it sends a negative message that makes one feel less valued; police are placed in a neighborhood to keep you safe which shows that you are something valuable and worth protecting. Yet, I understand the notion that building a library would send a positive message. Having a brand new library, a place to go where you can feel safe bringing your child and that offers classes, technology, and access to resources you may never have otherwise had a chance to experience, is extremely positive and hopeful. This reading really made me think outside of just the community I am familiar with and my perspective on libraries is definitely changing. I found this article really interesting and am looking forward to learning more about the effects that library systems have over their communities.

MIS: library in America and China

But even dearer to me was the library.......My grandmother would take me to that library weekends and summers and sit quietly with me in the children's area, where I obsessed over the one book she would let me take home. (A personal account of unequal access, Tracie D. Hall, 30-31)

I was very impressed by this part because the description given by the author reminds me of my childhood. I was extremely interested in reading books when I was a child. However, my grandmother would take me to a bookstore not the library in summers or weekends. In China, every city usually only has one or two public libraries. For example, in my hometown Dalian with a population of 620 million, there is only one public library which is located very far from my home and it will take me more than 1 hour to get there by bus. So only a small number of people in China benefits from the library. A lot of people choose to go to the bookstore nearby to read or buy books instead of going to the library "far far away" and I have to say that the prices of books (especially the textbook) are much more acceptable than here. Moreover, the function of library here is different from what I had thought when I was in China. The libraries in America sometimes are more like a club for me while people can choose to study or talking with each other or drinking coffee or even shopping. The library in China is only a place for studying and people usually are not allowed to talk in library. I think the Chinese government definitely should put more money in building libraries in China, and more important, the library in China should not just be a study room but it should be more like a home or a platform for people to communicate with each other.