I'm not a librarian, but I think one very important facet of libraries is missing from this thread.
Good librarians don't just shelve books and check them out. They are a valuable resource in helping people find books of interest for research or just plain reading. They can get to know patrons and, like the owner of a neighborhood bookseller, they can steer readers to new and unknown authors, more appropriate levels of reading material and be an inspiration to head off into new genres. They can assist younger readers in finding material appropriate to their reading level, monitor progress and push them a bit farther in their reading and comprehensive skills. They can steer them to 'must-read' classics to provide background for future critique of literature. They organize book discussion groups and assist in obtaining an adequate number of copies for the group to read simultaneously. And, from a previous comment, they help make people comfortable while in the library.
All of this is being lost as politicians axe funding.
Library science is becoming a lost art and librarians are moving to other lines of work. This is not the inevitable loss of the blacksmith or buggy-whip maker, it's a loss of basic community service education. It is also, perhaps, suggestive of the lack of education and literary awareness of our political 'leaders' who are, themselves, suffering from their own deficiencies.
