Jamie Loftus

So, you know, you're talking about the last decade to half decade. I think we can really trace it back much farther, at least 30 years to the Clinton administration, actually. I want to talk about the Democrats. But even, you know, the roots farther back than that, because we have a neoliberal problem, right?

So, you know, you're talking about the last decade to half decade. I think we can really trace it back much farther, at least 30 years to the Clinton administration, actually. I want to talk about the Democrats. But even, you know, the roots farther back than that, because we have a neoliberal problem, right?

So, you know, you're talking about the last decade to half decade. I think we can really trace it back much farther, at least 30 years to the Clinton administration, actually. I want to talk about the Democrats. But even, you know, the roots farther back than that, because we have a neoliberal problem, right?

So it's basically the idea that all activity should generate obvious immediate monetary profit, that everything should be run by a business, that everything should be subject to the market, quote unquote. And so that's where we are with libraries, is that Even though I can sit here and say every dollar that the IMLS spends generates $2 of economic activity, that somehow isn't even good enough.

So it's basically the idea that all activity should generate obvious immediate monetary profit, that everything should be run by a business, that everything should be subject to the market, quote unquote. And so that's where we are with libraries, is that Even though I can sit here and say every dollar that the IMLS spends generates $2 of economic activity, that somehow isn't even good enough.

So it's basically the idea that all activity should generate obvious immediate monetary profit, that everything should be run by a business, that everything should be subject to the market, quote unquote. And so that's where we are with libraries, is that Even though I can sit here and say every dollar that the IMLS spends generates $2 of economic activity, that somehow isn't even good enough.

Because when the powers that be look at libraries, they just see money being flushed down the toilet, and that's the only way they can measure anything. So if you look at it and you're just saying, well, this is a place we spend money. This doesn't create money. This doesn't make more money happen.

Because when the powers that be look at libraries, they just see money being flushed down the toilet, and that's the only way they can measure anything. So if you look at it and you're just saying, well, this is a place we spend money. This doesn't create money. This doesn't make more money happen.

Because when the powers that be look at libraries, they just see money being flushed down the toilet, and that's the only way they can measure anything. So if you look at it and you're just saying, well, this is a place we spend money. This doesn't create money. This doesn't make more money happen.

The idea that everything should be run by a business and everything should be subject to market logics, that would say, well, if we're going to subject everything to market logics, libraries have no value because we're only measuring it. And can this make number go up? Yeah. And even though libraries do make number go up, it's not obvious. You can't make it obvious.

The idea that everything should be run by a business and everything should be subject to market logics, that would say, well, if we're going to subject everything to market logics, libraries have no value because we're only measuring it. And can this make number go up? Yeah. And even though libraries do make number go up, it's not obvious. You can't make it obvious.

The idea that everything should be run by a business and everything should be subject to market logics, that would say, well, if we're going to subject everything to market logics, libraries have no value because we're only measuring it. And can this make number go up? Yeah. And even though libraries do make number go up, it's not obvious. You can't make it obvious.

There's no direct line between what libraries do and number go up, even though there actually is, for example, with IMLS. So, you know, starting during the Clinton administration, when the federal government changed and how the federal government worked changed very much under the guise of increasing service quality, what they actually did was lay off a quarter million workers and

There's no direct line between what libraries do and number go up, even though there actually is, for example, with IMLS. So, you know, starting during the Clinton administration, when the federal government changed and how the federal government worked changed very much under the guise of increasing service quality, what they actually did was lay off a quarter million workers and

There's no direct line between what libraries do and number go up, even though there actually is, for example, with IMLS. So, you know, starting during the Clinton administration, when the federal government changed and how the federal government worked changed very much under the guise of increasing service quality, what they actually did was lay off a quarter million workers and

you know, turn everything into contract work instead of regular labor. And that, I think, filtered down from the federal level into states and municipalities so that those levels of government too also started to look at how they ran

you know, turn everything into contract work instead of regular labor. And that, I think, filtered down from the federal level into states and municipalities so that those levels of government too also started to look at how they ran

you know, turn everything into contract work instead of regular labor. And that, I think, filtered down from the federal level into states and municipalities so that those levels of government too also started to look at how they ran

they're government things and in many places public libraries are arms of local government, that those two should also be run like a business and be subject to market logics and therefore number does not go up, we don't value this.

they're government things and in many places public libraries are arms of local government, that those two should also be run like a business and be subject to market logics and therefore number does not go up, we don't value this.