From In Hand to Online: The Future of Libraries

There is no doubt that the world is becoming more technologically advanced every day. You can buy food online-- raw or already prepared, ready-to-eat.  Phone conversations can take place on the go with the advent of cell phones.  You can go so far as to have synchronous video chats with friends from those very mobile devices. Nowadays, one can read the newspaper at the kitchen table without touching the black and white pages; just scroll down on a computer to get the latest information.

Burke saves the last chapter (18) of his technology companion to tell us some of the last news many of us want to hear--trends are showing that libraries are becoming increasingly virtual and far less physical. Esteemed librarians and prophets predicted, with great accuracy, the role that personal computers and other electronic devices as well as the Internet would play in people's lives.  Since technology is such an important part of people's every day lives, library patrons, may not have to go farther than another room in their homes--wherever their computers are--to access much needed information. By the same token, with so much available to people online, libraries have been working hard to keep up with electronic resources.

Fortunately, there are some trends that point to the need of maintaining libraries. One thing to note is that people actually like having face-to-face interactions with librarians. It is easy to find information on the Internet. It is another thing to sort out what is useful and what can be dangerous. Librarians can help patrons evaluate what information is best. Librarians who are skilled in troubleshooting and installing computer equipment can also suggest hope for keeping actual buildings open.

Though physical and virtual access to libraries are both important, I know that many of my students, especially the ones in the primary grades, love that they can come to the library every week. They love looking at the books, reading them and being read to. Below, you will find the five laws of Library Science as theorized in 1931 by Indian mathematician and librarian, S. R. Ranganathan:

1. Books are for use.
2.  Every reader his book.
3. Every book, its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. A library is a growing organism.

Whether in hand or online, really everyone should find their own (library and) book.