Gloria Ferris

I picked up this article form the Cincinnati Enquirer about libraries and the Internet through Crain’s Business Round-up.  I LOVE getting that update everyday in my email.  It broadens my knowledge of what is going on throughout our state through the eyes of the Crain’s Business staff.  I tried to provide the link here but for some reason am unable to do so.  Sorry about that.

I realized how lucky I am to have wireless and a laptop because my access is instantaneous and complete.  Obviously, the American public knows the advantage of access to the Internet.  Education today comes in many different forms and in many different places.  People are willing to wait in line for it.

Our Cleveland Public Library is not called the People’s University just because it is a catchy phrase.  It truly is the people’s university. Voters know the importance of our libraries.  Time after time they vote to raise our taxes so that we can continue to have world class libraries in our communities.   

So how are we going to raise awareness of the advantages of using the Internet beyond those who already know and how are we going to broaden access to the very things that could help our communities prosper through their own efforts?  OneCommunity has begun the process with Linked Communities, but there is more work to be done.

Education comes in many shapes and sizes.  Time is of the essence.

I wrote what appears below as a comment over on RealNEO in response to a great post about the value of community organizing by Kevin Cronin.  When I previewed the comment before posting, I decided that I wanted to crosspost it here at my site because I believe that we need to make sure that at every turn our elected government officials know that they are public servants and that the public they serve is us.

I think the disparaging remarks about community organizing shows that these politicians are very out of touch with the reality of the world.  Community organizing and community engagement will be the future of government in our nation.  Those leaders that understand the immense value of the knowledge that people on the ground and in the neighborhoods bring to what is needed and how to provide it will be key in our government moving into the 21st century.  Although some would have you believe that people want hand outs and a free ride, the exact opposite is true.  The vast majority want the chance, sometimes the second chance, to make it on their own.  Unlike some who strive for wealth they instead know that health, education, and opportunity is what is important. 

Instead of looking down their noses at community organizing, they should understand that the dismissing of the community by those offhand remarks will probably in the end be their undoing.