Don’t worry – this is not an obituary for the Andersen Library.
The library is dying. To some, it’s already dead. To Delia Lloyd of Politics Daily, our society is in for a world of hurt if libraries go by the wayside. She points out the argument that the library as an institution has morphed into a consumption destination, with electronic media at the forefront. However, I found that her article goes a step further than others that I’ve read on the topic. She contends that we rely on these fine institutions (if I do say so myself) for more than just books and movies. The author provides the example of information literacy as one of the pinnacles of the library. With the wealth of knowledge available, from print to online resources, librarians help to navigate through the sea of information to find that source for the paper, that job interview, that business plan.
What do you think? Are libraries on their death bed?
Read the full article: The Death of the Library – Politics Daily
I don’t think librarys are on thier death bed. With this new wealth of ebooks and online resources its harder now to navigate through all the information then it was even 7 years ago when I graduated highschool. I am in constant need of a librarians help to find the information needed to achieve my scholarly goals.
I do think there should be some sort of outreach program to teach students in gradeschool and highschool this lesson, by the time they graduate highschool this idea should already be in the back of thier minds anytime they need to do any sort of research.
The Library is not dead, nor doth it sleep. It’s just changing what it looks like and updating what it offers. I agree with Steven. There is still a google of information out there and people need help narrowing down all that information to get the best and most helpful pieces. There will always be a need for the knowledge the librarians have to find that perfect article for that complex research paper or just the help they give in organizing thoughts to a more precise idea. The library isn’t just books, it’s all the services it offers too. Libraries are a gold mine waiting to be explored.