ATELIER SPECIAL: LET US PRAISE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY -- Atelier Specials feature original creative content including essays, fiction, and excerpts. Today: an essay by M. Allen Cunningham, slightly abridged. "Let Us Praise the Public Library" was originally published as a special 3-part series in The Oregonian. You can read the complete essay at medium.com/@M_A_Cunningham. Mentioned in this episode: Portland, Oregon; Multnomah County Library; Victor Hugo; Charles Dickens; Mark Twain; Herodotus; J.M. Whistler; Charles Kingsley; Jorge Luis Borges; Toni Morrison; John Steinbeck; the Library of Alexandria; Der Spiegel; Virginia Quarterly Review; Hypnerotomachia Poliphili; Aldus Manutius; American civic life; democratic institutions; The Oregonian.  Music: "Mythological" by Ofrin; "Do Your Thing" by Guesthouse; "Thoughts" by ANBR; "Settle Down" by Giants and Pilgrims; "Shallow Water" by Sivan Talmor; "Betula Lenta" by Shahar Haziza (All music used courtesy of the artists through a licensing agreement with Artlist.)