Libraries, here to stay or going down in history?

Question

I work at a library, and all of our computers are down for upgrading. all the kids who came in today saw the computers were off and left again, same with the teenagers. Because of the information stored on the internet and programs now, will libraries become a thing of the past, in the future? or do you think their purpose will still be served for many years to come?

Answer 1

Very good question. The answer is "libraries are here to stay, but they'll change a lot".

There are many reasons I say that, but the short and sweet versions:

1- Not everything that is in books is now or ever will be on the Internet. It would take too many hours of work, too much money, violate too many copyrights, etc..

2- You know how to type a name or words into google, but that's far from all that's available electronically. If you need to find an article by a qualified person on how to carve a Viking shield or how to rewire a 1920s bungalow, or if you need to find out how many gas pumps there are in Ft. Ketchikan Alaska or how much rain fell in November 1929 in Singapore or in-depth criticism of Langston Hughes, it's not going to be as easy as you think. You'll need a librarian to help you, and where there are librarians there are libraries.

3. There's a tangible aspect to the book and to written hard-copy documents that's impossible to replicate digitally. It will never be the same to browse a book as to read one, and as far as research goes you need both the hard-copy and the electronic.

There are many other reasons and I could go into tons of detail on each, but the point is that libraries serve a need as a repository, as a place of expertise, as a space, etc., that will never be satisfied by the computer. The kids who came in and walked away yesterday are not surprising, but when that same kid has a very definite need to know something in depth whether it's for a school project or whether it's about a type of cancer his brother is diagnosed with or a long explanation of Plessy v. Ferguson, he'll need the library.

Answer 2

I believe that libraries will continue to serve our communities in the future, but in a different context than they currently do. What form that will take still remains a question, but it is plausible to envision a relatively realistic future for libraries and librarians.
One factor that will play importantly into the future is computers. What shape will that take is the question. Will all books eventually be scanned and available online through libraries? If so, then we can safely assume that all libraries might become The Library. One compendium of human knowledge. What about periodicals, documents old and new, and other forms of information that are not in books. If my one library thought holds true then they will be included.
The challenge for librarians will then take the form of accuracy, quality, and protection. Similar to issues we all face with the internet today, for the one library idea to work will require constant vigilance in the face of falsehoods, propaganda, and others that would seek to undermine knowledge itself.
I certainly hope that the library does not lose its significance in the coming century, rather, I would like to see the institutions become an institution, freely available, easily accessible, and overseen by people who value the tradition even though their jobs might not have anything to do with cataloging or any of the other duties/services performed by librarians.

Answer 3

Paper libraries will always be. The way to know that is to log onto Yahoo Answers books and authors. Several times a day, people ask where they can read a "recent" book on-line free. Of course they can't, because the books are copyrighted, and no one can legally put a book online. So the only recourse is to borrow the book from a library or buy it. I myself recently wanted to read, "Blood Relations: The Rise and Fall of the Du Ponts of Delaware." My library didn't have it. I put in an interlibrary loan form. I'm reading it now. (It's so good, I think I'll buy it.)

What do you think would happen if the electricity went out for a long period? What if the electronic repository of all knowledge announced, "Haw foo! We not gonna DO that anymore!" Who you gonna call?

Answer 4

A new library went up in my neighborhood earlier this summer, and since it opened it has been pretty constantly busy. Of course people come in to use computers, but plenty of people check out books and other media as well. In fact, this particular branch has one of the highest check-out rates in the city.

As a teenager, I almost never checked anything out from the library, despite the fact that I read more than most people I knew. Now I am in my 20s, and I regularly visit my local library to check out books. I don't really think this new generation of kids is acting in a different way than mine did, it just takes time for people to grow up and start appreciating all the resources that are available to them. I am sure libraries will be around for a good long time.

Answer 5

Hopefully most all libraries will become information centers
Problem started during thoes,"wonderful Pres. Reagon years," when he cut so much funding out of our infrastructure, (to dump on the military), and left alot of our institutions high and dry fundwise.
If the library you work for is upgrading their computers sound like you might be working for a progressive institution now if you could get them to sell coffee & pastries like I know some libraries are doing that would be heading in the right direction.
For thoes of us who can't afford the monthly payment for access to the internet - "the library's a wonderfull place."













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Answer 6

I think they will always be around, but fewer people will go to them. All I see at our library are old people, and broke students. If I need info I get on the internet at home, if I want to read a book I just go hang out at B & N.