Hallelujah wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:10 AM:Kudos to Goodman for putting his money where his mouth is. What a commendable example of investing personal wealth for public, long-term benefit. I think Rider and Reardon are mad because their views of the world don't hold water. Not a good example of the 'greatest generation.' Their position is like people who made their mint and their mark during the Halcyon days after WW2 and now need a moat around their vulnerable castles - to heck with the hordes... They've got theirs. These are not the ideas our country needs to adapt to changing times. Goodman, you give me hope.

jvc wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:29 AM:Rider and Reardon should express their
outrage where it really belongs, that is, how we have up to now spent half trillion dollars in Iraq!

word wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:57 AM:precisely. WHat's a city without a library?

question wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:00 AM:What happens when we (as a society) stop reading?

Lisa wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:48 AM:I've been going to our local library for many, many years. Each time I go there it is pretty full.
I think the library is a great place and certainly not obsolete.
Keep on reading.

Richard wrote on Jun 14, 2008 9:58 AM:David Goodman is, like many library aficionados, well educated and yet woefully ignorant of computer options. For instance, he says that poor people need library computers because they can't afford expensive software such as Microsoft Office for their home computers. That's patently absurd.

The truth is that most software needs are available for FREE on the Internet. And it's absolutely legal. Instead of paying for Microsoft Office, download OpenOffice for free.

Google it. Easy to find.

OpenOffice is a suite of professional programs that does 99% of what the Microsoft Office package does. It includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics and databases. And yes, it is absolutely free. I've used it for two years, saving my work in Office file format for easy transfer to other computers.

For other needs, one can Google the application desired and find free, legal alternatives on the Internet. All the money we spend on public schools, and the educrats still buy unneeded software, and don't inform students of the viable free options available to them.

PUHLEEZE wrote on Jun 16, 2008 10:23 AM:did you knuckleheads even read Mr. Riders piece? mr. goodman seems to think that personal attacks on Rider will help his feeble arguments seem more reasonable...they don't and simply expose him as sourpuss with faulty logic.

i read as a hobby and NEVER go to a library. my two straight A kids never go to a library. i get my Open Office software free from the good folks at google by way of open source code compilers everywhere (thanks geeks!).

Mr. Goodman may need the library for the comraderie but that is NOT what a library is for...it's for access to books...a function that can be expanded to far more than its present reach if a centralized system is instituted...which i conclude is the point of Riders opinion piece. if Mr. Goodman needs a club let him join one at his own expense...he has money to bequeath for a BUIL:DING for god's sake!

what's a city without a library? no suggested that...did you read the piece? what happens when we stop reading? maybe we go for a walk, talk to our families, go play golf or have a bike ride...go to the beach for a swim...listen to the radio.

the point was that we don't need giant, inconveniently located edifices (for example the shiny library in Encinitas that is near about 10% of the population) to handle the task of getting books to those who want them.

if Goodman has so much bank that he can endow a building i suggest rather that he get with any of the many foundations and fund a beneficent cause to support the community. the Boys and Girls club is a good place to start...they serve many of the needs he identifies as library related...after school care, computer access, story time. "The Goodman Fund for Kids"...it has a nice ring to it, no?

JohnnyTriger wrote on Jun 19, 2008 1:57 PM:Let me see if I have this right... many city, county and federal governments are deep in debt... taxes are insanely high and are threatening to go higher... and then we should use taxpayer subsidies to fund these expansive Taj Majal libraries?

Tell ya what. You can have you big libraries. Downsize the compensation to government employees to pay for libraries. They get high salaries, taxpayer guaranteed pensions and gold-plated health care all courtesy of the taxpayer.

Right now, the math does not add up to fund expanded libraries. Loan out books but do it from an inexpensive warehouse.

Robot_builder wrote on Jun 20, 2008 8:19 AM:Libraries should be funded by those who use them. How can anyone justify forcibly taking money from one person to fund a product or service for another. All Christians should be against this because it breaks one of the 10 commandments “Thou shall not steal”. Just because a law is passed to make it legal does not change the morality of stealing it is still stealing. Let people who use the libraries fund the libraries and keep the government out of the book business. .

jethomas wrote on Jun 20, 2008 9:33 AM:It seems that those who support libraries are part of an old gang of life-ling city employee union-workers, leeching off of taxpayers.

Want books? The private non-government sector does a terrific job. Example: Borders! Go in, sit down, read, buy coffee and sometimes listen to live music.

Only if the bookstores did not have to pay so much taxes for the benefit of the city slugs, they could lower their prices.

edwardtlp wrote on Jun 20, 2008 5:43 PM:What's a City without a library? That's like asking, "What's a fish without a bicycle?" Quick...how many say they moved here because of the libraries?