Dear Friends and Good People -
Wanted to call your attention to these recent articles about Life in Rural America.
Former FOTL Board Member Whitney Kimball Coe is an Athens, Tennessee, resident who writes a weekly column for the Daily Post-Athenian <http://www.dailypostathenian.com/> in Athens, Tennessee, where the following article was first published. She is the coordinator of the National Rural Assembly and director of national programs for the Center for Rural Strategies https://www.ruralstrategies.org, which publishes the Daily Yonder.
Speak Your Piece: Rumors of Rural America’s Death
By Whitney Kimball Coe, Daily Yonder, December 20, 2018.
For the umpteenth time, an urban commentator has suggested that small-town residents would be better off if they packed it in and moved to a big city. But Athens, Tennessee, a town of about 13,000 located between Chattanooga and Knoxville, has other ideas. And they live by them.
https://www.dailyyonder.com/speak-piece-rumors-rural-americas-death/2018/12/20/29522/
This article appeared first in the Daily Post-Athenian in Athens, Tennessee.
The rural heartbeat, December 19, 2018.
http://www.dailypostathenian.com/opinion/article_a3e043a6-627c-5347-b8d3-7f4cc69c8ef5.html
New York Times recent articles:
The Hard Truths of Trying to ‘Save’ the Rural Economy Can rural America be saved? By Eduardo Porter, New York Times, December 14, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/14/opinion/rural-america-trump-decline.html
OPINION: Small-Town America Is Dying. How Can We Save It? Aging populations, unemployment, addiction: Readers talk about the obstacles to saving rural communities. By Rachel L. Harris and Lisa Tarchak, New York Times, December 22, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/22/opinion/rural-america-economy-revive.html
LETTERS: How to Revive Small-Town America Readers offer their ideas, including improving access, helping family farms and giving rural residents more respect. New York Times, December 23, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/23/opinion/letters/small-town-america.html
Sorry New York Times, Rural America Cannot Be Saved By Allan Golombek, Real Clear Markets,
December 18, 2018.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2018/12/18/sorry_new_york_times_rural_america_cannot_be_saved_103542.html
How Rural America Is Saving Itself The New York Times is the latest outlet to ask “can rural America be saved?” They’re asking the wrong question. By Jean Hardy, Citylab, December 20, 2018
https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2018/12/rural-america-us-economic-future-new-york-times-wrong/578740/
ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries works to identify trends relevant to libraries and librarianship. This collection is available to help libraries and librarians understand how trends are developing and why they matter. Each trend is updated as new reports and articles are made available. New trends will be added as they are developed.
The Center currently uses Smart Cities and Urbanization as trend categories —> Would that we could convince them to add Rural Life (where, if I remember correctly, most of our food comes from - now there’s a trend: food for eating!). http://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends
Reactions? What do you think?
Is there any future for having a flourishing life in rural America?
Looking forward to hearing your opinions.
Continued best wishes for a festive holiday season - Don
- - -
Donald B. Reynolds, Jr.
P.O. Box 278
Talbott, Tennessee 37877
865.475.2030
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2014-17, 2018-19 President, Friends of Tennessee Libraries (FOTL)
Web Site <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/> Facebook Page <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Tennessee-Libraries/78895803726?fref=ts> Friends Ethical Statement <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/FOTL-Ethical-Dozen-for-Friends-of-the-Library-18Sept2015.pdf> Parent Tips for Reading Aloud <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/Parent-Tips-for-Reading-Aloud-Sept-2014-Imagination-Week-Handout-REV-FINAL1.pdf> Tool Kit for Building Friends Group <http://www.friendstnlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Sept2015FOTL-TOOL-KIT-for-Building-a-Library-Friends-Group-REV-Sept2015.pdf>
Former Chair, Tennessee Library Association Trustees/Friends Section
Retired Director, Nolichucky Regional Library, Tennessee
Founding Director/Former President, Association for Rural and Small Libraries
Rural & Small Library Directors’ Tool Kit <http://rurallibrarydirectors.pbworks.com/>
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