Two public library branch construction projects are underway in my town. One is being built in a new location; another building is replacing an existing branch. I drive by the latter project quite often and marvel at the progress as I look forward to the day the new structure will be open to the public. The main floor will house a youth collection, an A/V room and even a separate story room for children, in addition to staff rooms. The upper level will include the main collection, a current periodical room, and reference/reading and study rooms. The lower level will have a program room and lots of storage. And this branch is only between a five and ten minute drive from my home.

Today I picked up my latest issue of Utne and noticed an article discussing the state of libraries by Chris Dodge, â??Libraries for Sale.â? As I read on, my impression of â??for saleâ? began to feel like â??selling out.â?

One concern is that, in the name of giving people what they want, the new libraries of the future will be closer in spirit to amusement complexes -- centers offering corporate-sponsored "edutainment" spectacles and tiered services to a paying clientele. In fact, some administrators have already embraced library partnerships with Starbucks, McDonald's, and other companies as "creative" ways to make up public funding shortfalls. This trend should surprise no one. Libraries are increasingly modeled on big business and directed not by librarians but by executives who are apt to have read more management books than literature.

My public library branch is next to a middle school, and there is a restaurant or two down the street. But the nearest Starbucks and McDonaldâ??s are a mile or two away. So, my expectations are that Iâ??ll enter the new building and actually find an abundance of real paper books and periodicals, not just electronic versions or references, and hopefully that these collections appeal to a wide variety of interests, not just representing the â??bland,â? standardized fare Chris Dodge writes about. I also hope that while enjoying the new ambience, our local librarians have â??cultural memoryâ? regarding librariesâ?? historical role and are not just â??technically savvy.â? Maybe my expectations are too high.

Yet, Chris Dodge shows some optimism, too, in spite of funding problems and/or a growing corporate presence:

Meanwhile, many individual librarians continue to serve as professional altruists, often despite in-house pressures to do otherwise. They read and recommend books, quietly resisting a culture that seems to value entertainment more than wisdom. As the public library system struggles to find its way, it may be the librarians who will help it survive without losing its rich heritage and stores of printed knowledge. The light by which they read -- and that they themselves provide -- may have dimmed, but it's not out. With support from library users, their love of knowledge will continue to burn for the generations who will inherit it.