During the past week, I have been obsessively checking online news reports about the Icelandic volcano eruption which grounded planes in most of Europe. With my husband scheduled to conduct an orchestra concert in London in just a few weeks, we are wondering if he should create a “plan B” in case flights are again grounded due to continued activity with this volcano.
The bizarre thing about this volcano is the far-reaching impact its devastation has caused. I heard a story about how Kenyan farmers are being negatively affected because their produce cannot be shipped to Europe. The produce is withering away in storage, while the farmers’ bank accounts are suffering from lost deals. Weddings, funerals, sports events, concerts, international meetings, vacations, business conferences and more have been impacted by this lone volcano with the giant name that few people can pronounce. Who would have thought that this one incident could so dramatically and negatively affect most of the world? It’s a classic example of “trickle down effect” and a lesson on how we don’t live in isolation—a lesson about all of us suffering when bad things happen to other people in other places.
The volcano incident left me wondering about library ash. What is the trickle-down effect of the eruptions occurring within many local and state budgets where library services are getting cut? How is the rest of society affected when a library system has to cut its hours, reduce its collection or nix its programs? How many far-reaching negative consequences will occur because a small library in a little town located near my library in Iowa is facing a 39% budget cut? Will my library be able to handle the additional burdens of increased demands I may see for my own services, programs and materials now that the neighboring townsfolk have reduced library services? Will the residents of this town grow even more “digitally divided” when they don’t have access to public computers? Will the children not become as literate because they may miss out on books or storytimes? What kind of employees will those kids grow up to be?
I could go on. Bottom line: We don’t live in isolation. We should care when library budgets are cut and communities are left without many valuable resources.
Here’s the recent “State of America’s Libraries” report form ALA:
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/index.cfm
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12 years ago
3 comments:
I keep thinking about the 1816 Year Without Summer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer --seems to be relevant to your interesting blog. --Richard King, Reference Librarian, Vincennes (Indiana) University, USA
Awesome blog Maryann. I have been watching the volcanic activity in Iceland also. Whenever there is a a torrential blow in the terra firma there will always be a trickle down effect. Myself, I am concerned Kalto will erupt and it is a much more explosive and larger volcano. Pinatubo had lasting effects in the US after it erupted.
I am very interested in volcanoes. Always have been. They are a force so much bigger than any emotional problem we can face and there is absolutely nothing we can do about natures force. I find comfort in this, knowing there are bigger things out there, but I feel horrible when innocent people get caught in the maelstrom. And they always will in some way or other.
Been reading about Paracutin, a volcanoe that just happened to open up a cornfield in Mexico in the 40's and steadily grew from it's lava flows. Fascinating, but destroyed the land and crops for the farmers for that time, causing havoc and poverty. Nature is beautiful, profound but respectfully dangerous.
Thanks for expanding on the topic, Richard and Anon.
Anon, I'm really hoping those neighboring volcanoes don't blow any time soon. You're right that "there is absolutely nothing we can do" about the forces of nature. Returning those thoughts back to my original posting, there should be plenty we can do to save our libraries!
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