It all depends on the community IMO. The one in my neighborhood probably doesn't get as much use as the neighborhood I work in that has a larger portion of community members without regular internet access. It also serves as a community hub for meetings and they have some pretty good after-school programs as well as read-aloud programs for younger kids. It's become one of our biggest non-district resources when it comes to our kids filling out high school applications that have gone completely online as well. And in a shitty neighborhood it gives some kids a place to go.

Some libraries are adapting to the internet age by offering two week checkouts for books on eReaders as long as you're a member (I do this pretty often for short reads). And frankly, some texts (depending on your library) are better in their tactile form. Especially historical ones if your library has access to that.

I still think they're a worthwhile venture. Anything that helps educate a community is a worthwhile venture. I don't see them as a thing of the past as long as they're able to adapt to the move away from paperback books.

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Posted by BayouBandit24

Member since Aug 2010

16643 posts

Posted on 2/1/14 at 7:29 pm to BluegrassBelle

quote:
And frankly, some texts (depending on your library) are better in their tactile form

I personally believe all are, but that is just my opinion.

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Posted by Methuselah

On da Riva

Member since Jan 2005

23350 posts

Posted on 2/1/14 at 8:33 pm to BluegrassBelle

quote:
It all depends on the community IMO. The one in my neighborhood probably doesn't get as much use as the neighborhood I work in that has a larger portion of community members without regular internet access. It also serves as a community hub for meetings and they have some pretty good after-school programs as well as read-aloud programs for younger kids. It's become one of our biggest non-district resources when it comes to our kids filling out high school applications that have gone completely online as well. And in a shitty neighborhood it gives some kids a place to go.

Some libraries are adapting to the internet age by offering two week checkouts for books on eReaders as long as you're a member (I do this pretty often for short reads). And frankly, some texts (depending on your library) are better in their tactile form. Especially historical ones if your library has access to that.

I still think they're a worthwhile venture. Anything that helps educate a community is a worthwhile venture. I don't see them as a thing of the past as long as they're able to adapt to the move away from paperback books.

This is how it is here also. Our Library has programs for kids pretty much every Saturday during the summer - local authors, local folk musicians, etc. Kids get a lot out of it. They also provide a way for people who can't afford internet or full size computers to sit and do research online in a clean, comfortable spacious place conducive to learning.

I think there is a bit of a danger of internet research, especially on things like cell phones and i-pads to kind of devolve into kind of a cliff notes version of actual research.

I personally like to read (among myriad other things) the big books on different historical subjects - everything from say American Indian tribes, Russian Czars, different prehistoric socieities, Civil War, WWII, etc. etc. - especially those with pictures of historical artifacts, artwork, and the like. Kind of hard to enjoy that kind of thing on a cell phone.

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