> There is nothing wrong with implementing something someone else has already done!

Well, the phrase "re-inventing the wheel" exists for a reason.

> Usage of a library has more to do with it’s community than it’s codebase.

The purpose of a library is code re-use.

For comparison, the wikipedia page [1] for a computer library does not even mention communities, or the social aspect in general.

I'd say the community is a factor in the decision to use a particular library, but it's not the driving factor.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)

And most people discount the learning experience. You don't really know how to do something until you've done it, with all its warts and edge cases and all.