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Are libraries a good resource with communist atributes? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 1 month ago by Rob200@lemmygrad.ml to c/asklemmygrad@lemmygrad.ml

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I mean think about it.

You just need a library card (usually free if not always) and you can get anything a library offers for free with no fees. This use to be just movies, books, music CDs (think early 2000's and 1990's but now you can even get new video games for free. (physical copies)

it's a collective resource for a lot of media based products. Most countries, (if not all) have and tend to support public libraries.

but is this a good communism service. when looking at communist principles? What does the community think?

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[–] itspostingtime@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think most communists would agree that libraries are a good resource.

As a side note, there can also be libraries of things other than books and media, like toy libraries (so parents aren't pressured to buy tons of toys but kids can still borrow and play with different toys), tool libraries (so people in a community don't have to all individually buy tools that they might only use occasionally), home appliance libraries, electronics, musical instruments, etc.

These services are more marginal under capitalism because they're not for profit. Under capitalism, big libraries of items which can easily be borrowed for free is not a welcome idea for capitalists seeking to profit of off false scarcity of their products, and its harder to maintain non profit services like this. In a communist society, there wouldn't really be a reason to hinder the expansion and enhancement of libraries to make them even better resources for the public.

[–] funky_tomatoe@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 1 month ago

A tool library is so fucking sick. I wish I had one near me.

[+] rentasonder@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] Rob200@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Libraries could easily be adapted to fit Communism, most of the ground work is already set up, you might have to make some changes for it to work under communism as defined.

While they might not be communism they do share a lot of similar principles to communism. While their might not be a lot of specific production, collective ownership is also an important key to communism, which libraries share.

One person can borrow a copy of a book and then months later another person could get that same copy in their own household.

[–] ledlecreeper27@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

You can also find a lot of communist books on online libraries like Libgen, Anna's Archive, and archive.org.

[–] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

Yes. Socialist societies have libraries, too, to great effect.

[–] ButtigiegMineralMap@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

Not only do most libraries have movies tv and games now, some places let you borrow chargers, even fucking drills its crazy.

[–] Finiteacorn@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 month ago

libraries are great but they predate communism, not everything which is good or communal/community centered is communists. The simple act of sharing and cooperating with ur geographical community isnt communist or even revolutionary its just basic human shit. I think neo liberalism and individualism and consumerism have poisoned our brains so much that we can look at something which is just human and assign to it political values that have existed for at most a couple centuries, because it has become so rare.

[–] Rob200@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 month ago

Personally, even though a library isn't necessarily a means of production, I don't think it would be not be welcomed under a communism environment. I feel the concept of a library and how they work overall is similar to what communist might be looking for in general from such a service.