US Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds 61% of public libraries have health or safety issue, 40% have a failing major system

Food for thought! How much do we still need public libraries in the digital age?

Theoretically, all books out of copyright could be digitized and provided by a single library for access to all the inhabitants of the world. Accommodations for elderly or disabled individuals can be provided.

If I were a radical I would propose to close them all and/or rededicate a few public libraries and/or shrink them dramatically!

As far as public meeting spaces are concerned, perhaps there are better solutions than big buildings with tons of book shelves!

Caveat: I did not read the entire article.

"... About 6,000 libraries nationwide (nearly 40%) say that part of their building is in poor condition, and about 7,000 report having a physical barrier to access for people with disabilities.

Federal funding is generally available for library programs and services, not for construction or repairs. Many libraries cite funding and construction costs as challenges to addressing building needs. ...

An estimated 38 percent (about 6,000) of the nation’s public libraries have at least one building system, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), in poor condition, according to GAO’s survey of libraries. An estimated 61 percent, or 9,800 libraries, have at least one building system or feature that poses a potential health or safety concern.  ..."

GAO finds 61% of public libraries have health or safety issue, 40% have a failing major system | Just The News "The audit findings are based on a nationally representative survey of about 16,400 public libraries across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories."

Public Libraries: Many Buildings Are Reported to Be in Poor Condition, with Increasing Deferred Maintenance (original news release)

There’s no more DEI at the US Department of Defense, watchdog GAO finds

Good news! DEI must die! A skin color racism ideology like DEI has no place in the US military!

"The Pentagon has officially eliminated all diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs, to comply with White House executive orders, according to a watchdog report. But Congress had already done the heavy lifting last year.

The Defense Department went from 115 to just 41 DEI jobs by July 2024 per a provision in the 2024 annual defense policy law, according to a Government Accountability Office in a report released Thursday.

The Defense Department “reduced its civilian workforce” after implementing section 1101 of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which put a cap on civilian personnel pay grades assigned for diversity, equity, and inclusion roles to that of a GS-10 or about $73,484 annual salary. The law also directed civilians in DEI roles—defined as having primary duties for developing and implementing DEI policy, objectives, education and training—be reassigned.

The remaining 41 jobs were not subject to the NDAA provision because “their pay rate was less than a General Schedule (GS)-10, they were military positions, or DOD determined that DEI was not the primary reason the position existed,” the report says. 

Of those 41 DEI positions—which have now been eliminated or restructured—25 were held by military personnel, while 16 were held by civilians, the GAO wrote. The Air Force and Space Force had the most, with 19 jobs, followed by the Army, which had seven civilian-filled and five military positions. ..."

There’s no more DEI at DOD, watchdog finds - Defense One "But most of the roles were eliminated last year by an act of Congress."