There is often a great deal of discussion about the future of libraries and the book. I appreciate the dialog and concern some express, but find it more interesting that with all of our technological advances; libraries just continue to get busier and busier.
First off, I think some people are unclear of what their local library has to offer. Secondly I think that people are very misguided as to the amount of information found online and the amount of information found in books; for clarification, books have more. In addition libraries have never been just books (although if they were that would be enough).
I like to think of our local library as a community gathering place where people can engage in dialog and new experiences. When you visit the library you will be exposed to information, ideas, sounds, art, images, and people. You come in to use our computer for a job search and during the process you might take the time to explore our current art exhibit, or perhaps without deliberately making an effort to view the art you are still taking it all in.
How about music, our library has more than a thousand CDs ~ you might be thinking that CDs are a thing of the past. I beg to differ. Often before purchasing music for my ipod I might want a chance to listen to the artist, so by checking out the CD I get a chance to preview the music.
What about movies. I haven't rented or purchased a DVD in years, simply because they are free to check out at the library. What's more what I love most is the ability to browse the collection and run across a movie I always wanted to watch but never got around to it, or stumble across a documentary that is sure to enlighten me.
I'm not going to cover everything here, I am just going to scratch the surface on what's available and why you should care and why I think the future of libraries has never been better.
I own a Kindle, I've had it for more than a year and the truth is while I have downloaded a couple of books to it, I have never actually read a book on my Kindle. Over the past year I have read many books but not one of them from my Kindle. Maybe it's habit, I'm a page turner. What I really think it is is economics, books from the library are free and books on Kindle cost money.
That's true about everything in every format I have talked about; libraries are free there is not a better deal anywhere. There is expense in mp3 players, online movie accounts, and E-Readers ~ but libraries are free.
A couple of things that libraries offer that you might not think about: guest speakers and visiting authors, who probably are not going to show up in your living room. The caliber of speakers we have had and continue to have at the library is outstanding. Sometimes I want to shake people and say do you know who's at the library right now? You need to get to the library.
Entertainment, I could have never imagined how wonderfully our summer music series would have taken off and been received. Weekly live entertainment at the library was extremely popular.
This weekend the library is hosting a 1940's dance as a part of our series on "The Greatest Generation."
What defines a library? Well more than you could ever imagine, every word in the dictionary wouldn't begin to cover what defines a library. Don't believe me; get to the library and check it outfor yourself.
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