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The core mission of libraries to provide information has been supplanted by a device that exists in everyone's pocket. Information was a major need once, now it
by MadcapJake 3y ago
The core mission of libraries to provide information has been supplanted by a device that exists in everyone's pocket. Information was a major need once, now it's trivially available. Libraries need to reinvent themselves.
Let's convert libraries into on-premise AI supercomputers that anyone can rent time with, would be a good leap into the next age. Or VR rooms (I never have enough space at my house). They need to think bigger than just "info".
- bluGill 3y agoSaddly the internet is not nearly as useful as it used to be for finding information. there was always some false information out there, but these days finding anything useful is harder. All the information is obvious AI generated spam.
- BirAdam 3y agoMany libraries have added public access computers with internet connectivity. I imagine that when/if cost effective machines capable of running LLMs become available, we will see some libraries add them.
- StableAlkyne 3y agoThere are plenty of books, textbooks, and journals that just aren't online, and aren't in print anymore. The ones that are online just get squatted by publishers who want to collect rent long after the authors have died. It is frankly absurd to pay $20-$200 for a digital "copy" (so locked down with DRM that you often can't even open it offline) of an out of print book or journal article that you can find at a nearby library.