Kholle du 22 05

US public libraries – beauful icons of a beer civic era
Moira Donegan |The Guardian | December 2022
If you proposed it now, at any town council or city hall meeng, you would be laughed from the room.
The concept is almost unthinkably indulgent, in our austere mes: an instuon, open for free to anyone,
that sells no products, makes no money, is funded from public coers, and is dedicated solely to the
public interest, broadly dened. And it’s for books.
If the public library did not already exist as a pillar of local civic engagement in American towns and cies,
there’s no way we would be able to create it. It seems like a relic of a bygone era of public opmism, a
me when governments worked to value and edify their people, rather than punish and extract from
them. In America, a country that can oen be cruel to its cizens, the public library is a surprising
kindness. It is an instuon that oers grace and sanctuary, and a vision of what our country might one
day be.
To the eyes of a modern American, it can be a strange, even disorienng vision. For one thing, public
libraries are unusually beauful places, the kind of buildings that make you feel underdressed. In many
American cies, the public library ranks among the most ornate and stately xtures of downtown.
Over the past year, I began working in the public library for the first time in my freelance career. No
matter how often I went, every time I mounted the steps to the entrance, I was always a little nervous.
The building felt beyond my station, as if I was about to get caught doing something I shouldn’t. As I
settled into my seat at a broad hardwood table and opened my laptop beneath the chandeliers, I always
half expected a suited security guard to arrive and ask me politely but firmly to leave. But what is so
precious and stupefying about the public library is that no one ever does. I have a right to be there – not
because of any institutional affiliation or job or paid subscription, but because I’m a New Yorker, a
regular person, in a city that has decided to honor its people with this place.
There are a lot of indignities to American city life, and maybe there are especially indignities to life in
New York. There is the indignity of the crowded and dysfunctional subway system. There is the indignity
of the city’s dirtiness. There is the indignity of the price of rent. But the public library offers an almost
otherworldly dignity, a sense of purpose and seriousness that falls over you when you enter. The silence
of the reading rooms begins to feel like the reverent hush of a temple.
The majesty of library buildings is matched only by the nobility of their purpose. The public library does
not make anyone money. It exists to grant access to information, to facilitate curiosity, education, and
inquiry for their own sake.
And it is available, crucially, to everyone. It costs nothing to enter, nothing to borrow. All the knowledge
and artistry of its collection is available to the public at will, and it is a privilege made available, without
prejudice, to rich and poor alike. The optimism and respect for the people that is represented in the
public library is worth taking into the future with us. The public library makes a proposition that’s still
radical: that learning, knowledge and curiosity are for everyone, and that the annals of history,
literature, science and art might not be just an indulgence of the privileged, but an entitlement of
citizenship.

Public libraries in the United States represent exemplary instuons. In a current
context that is completely out of step, where austerity dominates and resources are
oen limited, the idea of creang a place enrely dedicated to the public interest,
without prot moves, may seem completely extravagant.
If the concept did not already exist, it probably would not have come to fruion in
today's world. The public library seems to be a relic of a bygone era. Previously,
governments worked more to educate the populaon, but the trend has changed as
people now constantly live under constraint. The public library is therefore a
surprising benevolence and sets an example for future generaons.
Moreover, they are buildings that stand out, with exceponal beauty, and they
constute the wealth of many cies. Their architecture and layout create a unique
atmosphere, almost inmidang, which can give the impression of not belonging, yet
the fact that everyone owns it is part of its charm. These buildings are in complete
contrast to the bustling environment of a city like New York, subject to numerous
uncertaines.
They are powerful symbols of an era when the common good and the empowerment
of individuals prevailed regardless of their social status. Thus, they can contribute to
shaping a beer and more equitable future for our society.

Introducon:
Since their foundaon, the United States has been considered a naon founded on
ideals of equality and opportunity for all. However, despite these laudable principles,
the reality demonstrates a deeply unequal society.
How can the United States be considered an unequal country and what concrete
acons has the government taken to address these inequalies?
I) The United States, an unequal country
The United States is characterized by manifest economic inequalies, where wealth
disparity is parcularly concerning. The top 1% richest individuals hold nearly 32% of
the country's total wealth, while the boom 50% possesses only 2% of that wealth.
This extreme concentraon of wealth accentuates economic disparies and
compromises social mobility. Addionally, access to economic opportunies remains
limited for many Americans, especially for marginalized communies. For example,
racial disparies persist in the labor market. According to the Bureau of Labor
Stascs, in 2020, the unemployment rate for African Americans was 9.9%, nearly
double that of Whites (5.2%). Disadvantaged communies, oen concentrated in
urban areas, also face issues such as deindustrializaon, lack of investments, and a
shortage of decent jobs.
II) Government acons to combat inequalies
The government has implemented scal policies aimed at reducing wealth gaps. For
instance, the tax reform passed in 2017 under the Obama administraon increased
taxes on high incomes, including raising the marginal tax rate for the wealthiest
taxpayers. This measure aimed to generate addional revenue to fund social
programs and reduce economic inequalies. Furthermore, several U.S. states have
taken measures to increase the minimum wage. For example, in 2020, the state of
New York adopted a law providing for a gradual increase in the minimum wage for
full-me and part-me employees, eventually reaching $15 per hour. The government
has implemented policies to combat racial and ethnic discriminaon. For instance, the
implementaon of civil rights laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, has helped to
ght racial segregaon and promote equal opportunies for all cizens. Addionally,
government agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
ensure the enforcement of an-discriminaon laws in the workplace. The
government has undertaken reforms to improve access to educaon and reduce
educaonal disparies. For example, the "Race to the Top" program launched in 2009
encouraged states to implement educaonal reforms, such as higher learning
standards and teacher training iniaves, to promote equal opportunies in
educaon. The government has adopted measures to improve access to healthcare,

including through the implementaon of the Aordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. This
reform expanded healthcare coverage to a greater number of people.
Conclusion:
The United States faces deeply rooted inequalies, both economically and socially.
However, the U.S. government has implemented several concrete acons to combat
these inequalies. Through economic policies aimed at wealth redistribuon, ghng
discriminaon, reforming the educaon system, and improving access to healthcare.
While progress has been made, there is sll much work to be done to achieve a truly
egalitarian society.