Nader Laments Loss of Public Service Facilities

-- Library Journal, 08/21/2003

Public watchdog Ralph Nader, a noted champion of libraries, is lamenting the loss of public service facilities such as libraries, post offices, and Government Printing Office retail stores. In an essay published on the Common Dreams News Center, Nader noted that "aggressive real estate developers are eyeing public libraries and their urban branches with the aim of developing them under multiuse projects that will include stores, cinemas, and condos." While some library directors welcome such projects as driving more foot traffic, Nader warns that "loss of free-standing library structures and their landscaping means families and individuals entering and leaving libraries must navigate between people with shopping bags and carts negotiating adjacent stores, parking, and all the noise." Ultimately, Nader asserts that the human factor provided by libraries and post offices is being ignored by those who value the bottom line above all, noting that "the federal government can continue to spend more every 48 hours in Iraq than its entire support of libraries in America for over one year."