ABSTRACT
Imagine this scenario: you walk past a public library and you see a drab, unkempt building. From the outside, it looks dirty, there is a faded handwritten sign taped to a window. You wander in out of curiosity and get an overwhelming sense of disrepair, old furnishings, and confused organization. The carpet is dirty, the beige paint is chipping. There are piles of clutter everywhere. A few people are reading newspapers, but the library is essentially empty. You wander into the children’s department which is drab and devoid of joyful noise of children’s chatter. There are signs taped throughout the library: no children allowed without parents or guardians, no running, no talking, you are limited to 10 items per card, $20 fee for nonresidents. The overwhelming sense you get is that this library is a place that has become irrelevant.
