Yes, there will still be libraries
As the news spreads about Google’s plans to help digitize the collections of UM, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford, many are frantically reminding us of the importance of the library as physical place. Does the Google project spell the end of the brick and morter library? Many seem to fear so, but I beg to differ. According to the American Library Association, as information technology advances, visits to libraries only increase. People often use these digitized resources to conduct research and access things that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Further, most people still prefer to read something tangible that they can hold in front of them rather than curling up with their computer screen. The fear that the library is going to disappear reminds me of the myth of the paperless offices that so many believed as computers took over. Not only are we still using paper, we’re using more than ever!
NPR had a brief interview with the president of the American Library Association and she talked about many of these issues:
The Future of Libraries in the Digital Age
But will there still be librarians?
Of course! Provided they embrace the future instead of running away from it. I think their role will definitely change, but they have been the primary champions of information literacy and access to information for over a century. Easier access without the aid of a human intermediary might mean that reference service as we know it will come to an end, but librarians will still be needed to figure out how to organize this neverending pile of information we’re accumulating as well as to ensure that it remains a public good.
Don’t fool yourself, that can all be done my robots… Just in case it doesn’t come across, this was sarcasm.
hehe—don’t worry. just cause i’m in library school doesn’t mean i totally lack a sense of humor.
I have to chime in on this one. To me, holding a book is an incomparable feeling. Practically speaking, having information at my fingertips at the drop of a dime is an indispensable tool, but there is no comparison like the feel of the covers, the sound of the binding stretch with the opening and closing of a book, or the smell of aged paper. I have to commend the city of Portland for having an amazing library system. I was very used to just having somehwat limited access to books and information through the Harper Woods library back in Michigan. The system here is just jaw-dropping. I can search for books on-line, reserve them, and then have them sent to my closest Multnomah County Library branch for pick-up. The main library downtown is a towering four levels of amazing tomes, hard to find manuscripts, and specialty rooms (the children’s room is a gem that comes to mind). The main branch is always filled with people. It looks like a mall in there with the amount of traffic moving from floor to floor and room to room. Utterly amazing…that’s why libraries will never go away. It is a meeting place for all ages, creeds, and cultures to share their love for the feel of pages.