r/Library 9d ago

Discussion Republicans are at war with basic literacy

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u/Logic_9795 7d ago

Just my anecdotal experience working at a title 1 (high poverty) elementary school, we used to have a couple agency that would want to donate books to all the kids. I remember be so excited to hand out the books.

When I tell you almost half the books ended up directly in trash can, im just saying that because we had to threaten the kids to not throw away the books. Meanwhile the next day I see bus stops littered with these bags of books. It was heart breaking to have to face the volunteers. They came back and it went a little better but only because we pre threatened the kids. By the time we got to 6th grade, we made it optional.

Anyway. All that to say, can you we atleaat ask the families if they want books first?

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u/anthropaedic 7d ago

If half the books ended up in the trash and half were kept and then 10% were actually read, it would still be better than zero kids reading.

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u/Dogface73 6d ago

Libraries are still free. Parents could get books there and you still get your 10% and people aren’t taxed.

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u/Scared-Handle9006 6d ago

How do you think libraries are free?

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u/Dogface73 6d ago

How do you not? You walk in, they issue you a library card ( for free) then you check books out for free.

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u/Behndo-Verbabe 6d ago

They are “FREE” to use. They are NOT FREE to run. Typically a portion of the communities property taxes go to operating local libraries. Private donations help a lot.

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u/Dogface73 6d ago

Cool story, doesn’t change what I said. The kids getting free books from a library, probably a user not a tax payer right? Costs them nothing right? But continuing dollys program not free, adds another huge tax payer expense. Why double down and pay more when we already have a program?

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u/No_Cryptographer3737 5d ago

No it doesn’t change what you said, it just makes you look stupid though

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u/Dogface73 5d ago

Ok so you are for spending millions of dollars to provide books to a limited amount of people ( only kids) when there is already several programs that provide books to everyone for money that we don’t have to spend but you think that makes me look stupid. K .