Everybody’s grubbing for some of that Giant Thanksgiving Bailout Pie, that $700 million pile that’s still mostly uneaten.  The Times will tell you all about the evil lobbyists lining up to get their clients’ hands on it, but they probably won’t speak so unmercifully about another group of folks who have come to the feeding frenzy: the librarians.  The American Library Association, in fact, who is asking for a full $100 million of the pie.  That’s a big slice, don’t you think?  Their argument is that public libraries “help Americans with job searches, small business development, financial literacy and other essential assistance in hard economic times.”  A good argument for at least a little money is that libraries provide something people can’t afford: not just books, but internet access.

[ALA President Jim Rettig] pointed to a recent ALA study showing that 73 percent of all libraries nationwide provide the only free Internet access in their communities. In rural areas the rate rises to 83 percent, according to the 2007-2008 report on public library funding and technology access. Many libraries are reporting double-digit growth in computer use this year, he said.

A recent Pennsylvania study points out that for every dollar invested in the public library, the community receives a return of $5.50. A similar report from Florida shows a $6.54 return on investment.

Well, that’s a good argument for the relevance of and need for libraries, but I’m not sure the argument is worth that much money.  What do you think?