4 ms·

You're missing the entire point of what a library is — it isn't a collection of books or computer terminals, but an educational community center. A good referen

You're missing the entire point of what a library is — it isn't a collection of books or computer terminals, but an educational community center. A good reference liberian can help someone out of work to find a job, they can help a business person do research or help someone navigate a government bureaucracy. For kids libraries are really education centers — and they also double as a meeting place for seniors. Libraries can house local history, be a showcase for local artists and show films. Libraries are meeting places for local organizations that focus on everything from a love of flowers to a chamber of commerce. Just like a museum or a school isn't replaced by technology — a library isn't replaced by technology.

rwmj 15y ago
Call them "local community centres" or "senior meeting places" in that case.
- michaelpinto 15y ago
  You're missing the point — that's like calling a your smart phone an mp3 player. Librarians are really educators who provide a resource for the community. So it's a community center with a brain. And sadly the libraries that are getting closed are in the communities that really need them the most.
  - latch 15y ago
    I'm not saying libraries are useless. I'm saying that much of their use is better served by the internet. Find a job? Do research? Navigate government documents? Even with respect to education we're seeing innovation from things like the Khan Academy. The internet won't/can't replace everything a library does. Like providing a physical space, or services for elderly (which are often not connected). That's my point, that perhaps they should focus on the areas where they truly serve a distinct (and valuable) service. Not only might they be more successful by focusing on a narrow set of services, but they might become more affordable to run.
    - ez77 15y ago
      Find a job? Do research? Navigate government documents? Even with respect to education we're seeing innovation from things like the Khan Academy. If you expect the average citizen to do all those things online it may be reasonable, maybe for a generation, to replace at least some of the gone libraries by Internet literacy centers.
      - king_jester 15y ago
        This is the key point. Many, many people do not have the informational literacy to even begin to do research work on their own in any medium, let alone on the Internet. Furthermore, many documents and resources aren't digitized and aren't on any kind of networked computer or database, so how exactly is someone supposed to access these materials and in a timely fashion? Librarians specialize in knowing how to find and navigate those materials and sources.
smackay 15y ago
I'd go further and say that libraries are one of society's more significant institutions and a powerful symbol that learning is a prized asset in its members. While the internet is more efficient and offers a greater range of materials I think that we are still in the early days of a transition to on-line learning and losing libraries at this moment risks letting the perceived value of education diminish in the eyes of the people who probably most need it.

rwmj 15y ago

Call them "local community centres" or "senior meeting places" in that case.

michaelpinto 15y ago
You're missing the point — that's like calling a your smart phone an mp3 player. Librarians are really educators who provide a resource for the community. So it's a community center with a brain. And sadly the libraries that are getting closed are in the communities that really need them the most.
- latch 15y ago
  I'm not saying libraries are useless. I'm saying that much of their use is better served by the internet. Find a job? Do research? Navigate government documents? Even with respect to education we're seeing innovation from things like the Khan Academy. The internet won't/can't replace everything a library does. Like providing a physical space, or services for elderly (which are often not connected). That's my point, that perhaps they should focus on the areas where they truly serve a distinct (and valuable) service. Not only might they be more successful by focusing on a narrow set of services, but they might become more affordable to run.
  - ez77 15y ago
    Find a job? Do research? Navigate government documents? Even with respect to education we're seeing innovation from things like the Khan Academy. If you expect the average citizen to do all those things online it may be reasonable, maybe for a generation, to replace at least some of the gone libraries by Internet literacy centers.
    - king_jester 15y ago
      This is the key point. Many, many people do not have the informational literacy to even begin to do research work on their own in any medium, let alone on the Internet. Furthermore, many documents and resources aren't digitized and aren't on any kind of networked computer or database, so how exactly is someone supposed to access these materials and in a timely fashion? Librarians specialize in knowing how to find and navigate those materials and sources.

smackay 15y ago

I'd go further and say that libraries are one of society's more significant institutions and a powerful symbol that learning is a prized asset in its members. While the internet is more efficient and offers a greater range of materials I think that we are still in the early days of a transition to on-line learning and losing libraries at this moment risks letting the perceived value of education diminish in the eyes of the people who probably most need it.