Follow up on the Seattle library versus the Rochester library
I’ll have a lot more to say about btp’s post about the Seattle library later when I have more time. I think it ties in with a lot of important local issues — not just Maggie Brooks’s fear mongering anti-library campaign, but also with what it means to be a city. For example, it’s worth noting that the Seattle library was designed by Rem Koolhaas, who is generally considered to be the greatest living architect. What’s signficant about this from a local perspective is that Renaissance Square — love it or hate it — was also designed by a very prominent architect, Moshe Safdie (I haven’t read enough about Ren Square to decide what I think about it, btw).
The main thing the Seattle public library post made me think was how sad it it is that we allow our county to be held captive by the political calculations of Maggie Brooks and Stephen Minarik. Sadder still is the fact that local newspapers are afraid to confront this reality.
To paraphrase Fran Lebowitz, “First-rate cities discuss the books in their libraries, second-rate cities discuss the archtecture in their libraries, third-rate cities discuss putting content filters in their library.”
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