6 ms·

What Libraries Can (Still) Do

28 points by nols 11y ago

m52go 11y ago
I'm not a librarian, but as I understand it, ebook pricing is ridiculously high right now. We need a revolution equivalent to the one brought by the paperback book to make the ebook market relevant for institutions like libraries (whether that's brought about by a change in production costs, distribution, copyright, business model, or something else). Also, I'd love to see some innovation in book discovery. Even if/when a "paperless library" does exist, I can't imagine having to "browse" through a search-box like some kind of autonomous pigeon-holed drone. > Libraries are screwed because we are invested in the codex, and the codex has become outmoded. So, adapt! If this is how librarians think, then they really are screwed. But from my experience, most aren't as averse to change and doomy-and-gloomy as this guy. There are some very creative and open-minded folks out there in charge of librarians doing some creative things. Time will tell what will work.
- mjklin 11y ago
  There is a revolution. It's called Library Genesis. Now if we could only make it legal...
tormeh 11y ago
A library close to where my parents live have gone in a different direction, concentrating on hosting talks.
design-of-homes 11y ago
I think many people (myself included) underestimate just how much knowledge is still tied up in books. I thought I'd repeat this anecdote I previously posted on a discussion about libraries a while ago. A few years ago I was researching the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. I wanted to find out about his famous housing complex called Unité d'habitation (Housing Unit) first built in Marseille in France. I started my research online looking for floorplans and commentary or critques. I found very little (there is a lot more available online today, but not when I was looking). Consider that Le Corbusier is one of the most famous architects of the 20th century so this was a surprise. Eventually, I did find what I was looking for by going to the library and visiting an architecture exhibition. The point of all this is that we assume everything is mostly online and so it's our first port of call for any research or knowledge gathering. But there is a huge amount of information and knowledge found in books that have never made it online. If you never go to the library, you simply won't realise what you're missing.
- peruvian 11y ago
  I realized this when learning programming. Sure, the "Learn X Technology" books are outdated within a year (my university's library is full of them, they should be recycled!), but a lot of the best computer science knowledge is in dead tree format.
- panglott 11y ago
  Much of this is the weight of copyright restrictions. There is a ton of material published between say 1940 and 1980, that is still under copyright but hopelessly out of print. As physical objects, they're getting old enough that soon they won't really be available outside library/archival settings. It's many thousands of books per year for decades, lots of original research and writing.
EliRivers 11y ago
Libraries are fantastic at lending me physical books. Really, really good at it. I've been an avid consumer of books on my various Sony readers (I prefer them to kindles and other brands) for most of the last decade, but as I type I have nine physical books from the library within a few feet of me. They charge me fifty pence to fetch it for me if they have to fetch it from some other county library, and two and a half pounds if they have to fetch it from anywhere in the UK and Ireland. I have six or seven books on order at the moment from the library, and they've got two waiting for me (one of which came from the county store, fifty pence, and one of which came from a university somewhere, two pounds and fifty pence). Unbeatable value for books I want to read but don't want to buy. Sometimes I even forgo piracy for the extra convenience of having it in physical format; novels that I read cover to cover sequentially are more convenient on the Sony, but textbooks, reference manuals and technical guides are so much more useful as paper. I completed a part-time degree last year and the library was an absolute viking at getting me maths textbooks and histories from all over. Libraries can (still) lend me books at fantastic prices.
- mcshicks 11y ago
  I can't agree with this more. I have a library walking distance that has two different interlibrary loan systems that can get books from local universities and other libraries. Both are free. There are three different public library systems within a 10 minute drive. Even if I want to buy a book, I almost always get it from the library first. And while wikipedia and other websites are great sources of information, they are generally not as good as a textbook specifically written for a subject.
mjevans 11y ago
Updated: Having read the article, my own opinions miss a feature of libraries that I had forgotten existed. Human search aids that can better translate the questions of humans in to the domain of curated information that they might also maintain. I am happy to see that I was mistaken in my belief that they would be talking about just books, given their domain name. -- the remainder is my thoughts prior to reading the article. -- For me, it begins with asking, what is a library? If you ask any normal person they'll start talking about books. Books are just one medium for storing, preserving, and disseminating information. A library should be about more than books. A library is a temple for worship of and enlightenment through information; for some of the very aspects that separate us from our ancient ancestors and even more so from the other creatures that live in the ecosystems we share. Libraries can, and should, be repositories and distribution points for information, in all forms and medias. A library should be a well connected hub, not just for books, but also our networks. A library is where local content should be cached, and remote content mirrored. A library should work /with/ local not-for-profits of all types who share the goal of spreading education, enlightenment, and progress in the useful arts of science.
neilsharma 11y ago
I recently rediscovered my local library and fell in love. There are several libraries in my county that share a collection of books, and I can request a book available in a different library to be fetched and held for me at the library of my choice -- for free! Probably 90% of books in my goodreads reading list are accessible this way. I used to buy a few kindle books (or pirate the ones I couldn't find digital copies of), but I found out I read both more and faster with tangible books. And the three-week rental period (with the option to renew for up to six more weeks) encourages me to actually finish books in a timely manner. My library also hosts cultural shows and has a small museum -- currently there are several pre-modern human skulls on display. Plus, internet speeds hit 50Mbps+. Never need to go to a local coffeehouse again. The only odd thing about my library is how ebook rentals (3-week digital access) can be out of stock. Don't know what kind of licensing deal they have with publishers, but this seems pointless. On a different note, what I've noticed is how easy platforms like this help fight piracy: Netflix + HBO --> fewer torrented movies/shows. Steam/Humble Bundle/etc --> fewer illegal games. Libraries --> fewer pirated books. Youtube/Spotify/Pandora --> no longer need to maintain a library of illegally procured music. With the right combination of price, selection, accessibility, and convenience, piracy to me has seemed less appealing over the years.
- kencausey 11y ago
  Perhaps I misunderstand your first paragraph but Inter-library loan is a system that allows you to request via your local library any book available in libraries all over the world. There may be cases where a charge is involved but I've requested book several times now in recent years and my local library hasn't charged me anything yet. If your library allows you to search Worldcat via their website that interface may also allow you to request the items all via the web.
  - neilsharma 11y ago
    Oh really? I never heard of the Inter-library loan system or Worldcat. The default search system at my county library seems limited to just whatever is in its network of nine local libraries, but I'll check if they have those systems as an option. Thanks for the tip.

28 points by nols 11y ago

m52go 11y ago

I'm not a librarian, but as I understand it, ebook pricing is ridiculously high right now. We need a revolution equivalent to the one brought by the paperback book to make the ebook market relevant for institutions like libraries (whether that's brought about by a change in production costs, distribution, copyright, business model, or something else). Also, I'd love to see some innovation in book discovery. Even if/when a "paperless library" does exist, I can't imagine having to "browse" through a search-box like some kind of autonomous pigeon-holed drone. > Libraries are screwed because we are invested in the codex, and the codex has become outmoded. So, adapt! If this is how librarians think, then they really are screwed. But from my experience, most aren't as averse to change and doomy-and-gloomy as this guy. There are some very creative and open-minded folks out there in charge of librarians doing some creative things. Time will tell what will work.

mjklin 11y ago
There is a revolution. It's called Library Genesis. Now if we could only make it legal...

tormeh 11y ago

A library close to where my parents live have gone in a different direction, concentrating on hosting talks.

design-of-homes 11y ago

I think many people (myself included) underestimate just how much knowledge is still tied up in books. I thought I'd repeat this anecdote I previously posted on a discussion about libraries a while ago. A few years ago I was researching the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. I wanted to find out about his famous housing complex called Unité d'habitation (Housing Unit) first built in Marseille in France. I started my research online looking for floorplans and commentary or critques. I found very little (there is a lot more available online today, but not when I was looking). Consider that Le Corbusier is one of the most famous architects of the 20th century so this was a surprise. Eventually, I did find what I was looking for by going to the library and visiting an architecture exhibition. The point of all this is that we assume everything is mostly online and so it's our first port of call for any research or knowledge gathering. But there is a huge amount of information and knowledge found in books that have never made it online. If you never go to the library, you simply won't realise what you're missing.

peruvian 11y ago
I realized this when learning programming. Sure, the "Learn X Technology" books are outdated within a year (my university's library is full of them, they should be recycled!), but a lot of the best computer science knowledge is in dead tree format.
panglott 11y ago
Much of this is the weight of copyright restrictions. There is a ton of material published between say 1940 and 1980, that is still under copyright but hopelessly out of print. As physical objects, they're getting old enough that soon they won't really be available outside library/archival settings. It's many thousands of books per year for decades, lots of original research and writing.

EliRivers 11y ago

Libraries are fantastic at lending me physical books. Really, really good at it. I've been an avid consumer of books on my various Sony readers (I prefer them to kindles and other brands) for most of the last decade, but as I type I have nine physical books from the library within a few feet of me. They charge me fifty pence to fetch it for me if they have to fetch it from some other county library, and two and a half pounds if they have to fetch it from anywhere in the UK and Ireland. I have six or seven books on order at the moment from the library, and they've got two waiting for me (one of which came from the county store, fifty pence, and one of which came from a university somewhere, two pounds and fifty pence). Unbeatable value for books I want to read but don't want to buy. Sometimes I even forgo piracy for the extra convenience of having it in physical format; novels that I read cover to cover sequentially are more convenient on the Sony, but textbooks, reference manuals and technical guides are so much more useful as paper. I completed a part-time degree last year and the library was an absolute viking at getting me maths textbooks and histories from all over. Libraries can (still) lend me books at fantastic prices.

mcshicks 11y ago
I can't agree with this more. I have a library walking distance that has two different interlibrary loan systems that can get books from local universities and other libraries. Both are free. There are three different public library systems within a 10 minute drive. Even if I want to buy a book, I almost always get it from the library first. And while wikipedia and other websites are great sources of information, they are generally not as good as a textbook specifically written for a subject.

mjevans 11y ago

Updated: Having read the article, my own opinions miss a feature of libraries that I had forgotten existed. Human search aids that can better translate the questions of humans in to the domain of curated information that they might also maintain. I am happy to see that I was mistaken in my belief that they would be talking about just books, given their domain name. -- the remainder is my thoughts prior to reading the article. -- For me, it begins with asking, what is a library? If you ask any normal person they'll start talking about books. Books are just one medium for storing, preserving, and disseminating information. A library should be about more than books. A library is a temple for worship of and enlightenment through information; for some of the very aspects that separate us from our ancient ancestors and even more so from the other creatures that live in the ecosystems we share. Libraries can, and should, be repositories and distribution points for information, in all forms and medias. A library should be a well connected hub, not just for books, but also our networks. A library is where local content should be cached, and remote content mirrored. A library should work /with/ local not-for-profits of all types who share the goal of spreading education, enlightenment, and progress in the useful arts of science.

neilsharma 11y ago

I recently rediscovered my local library and fell in love. There are several libraries in my county that share a collection of books, and I can request a book available in a different library to be fetched and held for me at the library of my choice -- for free! Probably 90% of books in my goodreads reading list are accessible this way. I used to buy a few kindle books (or pirate the ones I couldn't find digital copies of), but I found out I read both more and faster with tangible books. And the three-week rental period (with the option to renew for up to six more weeks) encourages me to actually finish books in a timely manner. My library also hosts cultural shows and has a small museum -- currently there are several pre-modern human skulls on display. Plus, internet speeds hit 50Mbps+. Never need to go to a local coffeehouse again. The only odd thing about my library is how ebook rentals (3-week digital access) can be out of stock. Don't know what kind of licensing deal they have with publishers, but this seems pointless. On a different note, what I've noticed is how easy platforms like this help fight piracy: Netflix + HBO --> fewer torrented movies/shows. Steam/Humble Bundle/etc --> fewer illegal games. Libraries --> fewer pirated books. Youtube/Spotify/Pandora --> no longer need to maintain a library of illegally procured music. With the right combination of price, selection, accessibility, and convenience, piracy to me has seemed less appealing over the years.

kencausey 11y ago
Perhaps I misunderstand your first paragraph but Inter-library loan is a system that allows you to request via your local library any book available in libraries all over the world. There may be cases where a charge is involved but I've requested book several times now in recent years and my local library hasn't charged me anything yet. If your library allows you to search Worldcat via their website that interface may also allow you to request the items all via the web.
- neilsharma 11y ago
  Oh really? I never heard of the Inter-library loan system or Worldcat. The default search system at my county library seems limited to just whatever is in its network of nine local libraries, but I'll check if they have those systems as an option. Thanks for the tip.