Rachel Kramer Bussel is a freelance writer specializing in sex, dating, books and pop culture. She's editor of the annual "Best Women's Erotica of the Year" anthology series and teaches erotica writing workshops worldwide. Follow her on Twitter @raquelita. The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

(CNN) On Saturday, Forbes contributor Panos Mourdoukoutas, chair of the economics department at LIU Post, published an essay touting the preposterous idea that Amazon stores should replace libraries. It quickly went viral, touching off a social media maelstrom. The piece has since been taken down. But anyone who cares about education, books, learning and their local community should be horrified by this suggestion.

Rachel Kramer Bussel

To suggest that Amazon -- or any other single company -- could replace the rich knowledge local libraries have about their patrons' needs is insulting. To minimize and dismiss the significant role of public libraries -- historically and today -- in combating inequality and fostering democracy is simply ignorant.

Libraries are one of the last remaining civic spaces open to the public. They provide vital free services and are storehouses of information. In addition to allowing patrons to check out paper books (including large print and out of print), ebooks, audiobooks, movies and music at no cost, libraries also offer free internet access, career centers and community programming. Additionally, they allow nonprofit agencies and organizations to use their rooms as meeting spaces.

Suggesting that Amazon, or any other commercial entity, replace libraries, where staffers have degrees in library science and are trained to assist patrons, doesn't make sense for a society that cares about knowledge. When Mourdoukoutas suggests that libraries "don't have the same value they used to" because of places like Starbucks, he fundamentally misrepresents the role of the library in a community. The two locations aren't in competition for people's attention or time; I'm pretty sure even little kids know that a coffeeshop is where you go if you want to eat or drink or meet up, and a library is where you go if you want to get books or movies or games. Even those aren't absolutes, as some libraries offer cafes and some people use both as places to caffeinate and get work done.