The New York Public
Library's Presidents Just Wrote A Beautiful Letter In Support Of Net Neutrality
Yesterday,
on the eve of the Federal Communications Commissions' (FCC) vote on net neutrality,
the presidents of the New York, Brooklyn and Queens public library systems did
something very in keeping with the spirit of libraries: they banded together
and they wrote a letter. If you're feeling stressed, anxious or just struggling
to articulate your thoughts, check out this ode to net
neutrality from the New York Public Libraries and remember:
there are still good people in charge out there.
First,
let's talk about net neutrality. What is being voted upon today, Dec. 14, is an
unprecedented decision by the FCC to deregulate the broadband industry. The
current guidelines of net neutrality, which were adopted in 2015 by former
President Obama, are centered around keeping the internet free and open to the
public. Repealing these rules would incentivize major corporations like
Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to govern the internet and would pave the way for
paid access. Essentially: individuals and corporations would have to pay for
the use of fast, reliant internet. Those unable or unwilling to shell out
additional fees would be relegated to a "slow lane." Broadcast
companies could dictate which websites run slower or are blocked completely.
A recent poll
from the University of Maryland that found 83 percent of
Americans, including three out of four Republicans, were against repealing net neutrality. Ajit Pai, the
Trump-appointed Chairman of the FCC, has stated he will not "bow to
pressure" (to be clear, by "pressure," he means "the will
of the American people" and by "bow" he means "do his job
as the member of a democracy") and continue with the vote anyway.
In a letter
published by The Verge, Anthony
Marx, president and CEO of the New York Public Library, Linda Johnson,
president and CEO of the
Brooklyn Public Library; and
Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of
the Queens Library, explain how repealing net neutrality isn't simply a matter
of, "Oh no, what about my Netflix binges?"; if we begin offering
priority access to essential resources, they write, the digital divide in this
country will be ripped apart.
"Since
their inception, public libraries have fought to ensure that all people —
regardless of their background or beliefs — have access to knowledge,
education, and opportunity," the letter begins. "That noble mission
hasn’t changed, even as technology has."
For
many of us who grew up using public libraries, we know that they're more than
book collections. Millions of people rely on public libraries as one of the few
places they can receive free access to both computers and the internet.
To see who will be affected, simply
walk into any New York City library branch. See the students who literally
cannot do their homework without our computers. See the parents and caregivers
who are learning English and applying for jobs online to improve their
circumstances. See the higher education students, independent researchers, and
scholars who need our databases and online collections to further scholarship.
Imagine how frustrated they will be, how demoralized, that they can no longer
access what they need.
Public
libraries, most of whom are either non-profits or government agencies, will be
forced to buy into, literally, this concept of priority access, say the NYPL
heads. And that's a heavy, and in some cases an impossible, burden.
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