My Library Card Expired, Why I am Okay With It
This is an opinion-based guest post by Mike Danielczyk. Mike is a college business graduate, creative writer, sports enthusiast, entrepreneur at heart, and a fun-loving guy who writes on various trending topics of interest. You can follow him on Twitter @Dzick508.
Big, small, quiet or smelly, every town has one; and you more than likely owe them money. I’m talking about libraries. With ‘est. 1789’ signs posted at the entrance, quiet signs lining the hallways and confused faces at the Dewey decimal system station, libraries are quite unremarkable establishments today. As a Generation Y member I did frequent libraries as a child. I remember getting my library card, the endless searching of the shelves, the struggle to stay awake trying to complete my book report and the nickel it costs to make a copy ( I heard copies cost $0.25 now!). Today my library card is at the bottom of some junk drawer and it would not surprise me if libraries were on the verge of extinction.
Library, meet 2010 and this thing called a computer, be envious
Adios Dewey Decimal thing, bonjour silence, hello information highway and konnichiwa iTunes. Today we have something I like to call a ‘desktop library’ at our fingertips. A desktop library has infinite pages of information, search optimization tools, it’s quick, it’s easy and portable; some refer to it as the Internet. Grab a drink, a bag of chips, turn on Aerosmith’s greatest hits and do some research, even glance back at Judge Judy if you so choose. Want to research the production process of Almonds? Well Google, Wikipedia, Wikianswers, Yahoo, and countless other search engines will bring this information to you, and very quickly. In a traditional library I would suggest you ask the secretary and begin what would turn into a wild goose chase of shelf navigating, book searching and page flipping.
In middle school we were given 3 weeks to do a 3 page book report on a subject of our choosing, and this workload seemed immense. This entailed trips to the library, creating outlines, referencing countless books and undoubtably having late fees. Today we can get assigned these same projects and conduct an information search within minutes, even seconds with a plethora of data on the Internet.
Translation: people in the library business are in trouble.
I cannot guarantee this, but I will say it anyways: As computer sales rose and Google’s visits increased, I guarantee foot traffic in libraries declined. With fewer visitors, less books being check out, and inflation of printing prices, libraries today cannot compete with our ‘desktop libraries’; It is a grim realization for those still attached to that industry.
Libraries, like Eureka’s Castle, are another piece of the Generation Y childhood that is disappearing. Library cards are going to end up on Ebay and Pawn Stars 50 years from now, and our grandchildren will probably question us about their very existence. It is not a ‘story book’ ending for such a traditional information outlet, however barring they knock on my door collecting late fees, I am completely okay with this chapter of my childhood ending.
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Libraries save people a ton of money only if they choose to use them. It's a great service that you already pay for out of your taxes. It is your choice if you want to use them or not. But just because you don't use it, don't try to eliminate it for people who do. It's like public schools, you may not have kids and don't think you should pay taxes for the education of the public but in the long run, an educated public equates to a better society.
The reality is libraries are busier than ever, many students come to the library to study, take advantage of free wi-fi, people who are unemployed and on a budget come to use the computers to apply for jobs, write resumes, or use it for entertainment if their own home computer is broken. There are many storytimes and activities for children plus it is a great resource for people who want to save money and not buy books at Barnes and Noble. Yes, people turn to the Internet for research, but there are millions that use libraries everyday for books without having to buy them. Some have extensive music CD and movie collections that you can build up your own music collection.
As a librarian, I can tell you we're busier than ever. Many times I don't get to take breaks because we are so busy and at least 2 of my lunches each week are interrupted because someone needs help. People ARE using us. They NEED us.
People who do not read often don't see the need for libraries. It's no wonder the literacy rate in the country is declining. Also, people who don't see beyond their own existence do not understand that others may not have the same privileges in life. It's sad really.
I worked hard to earn a master's degree in this field. I work in a specialized government library(yes there are all kinds of libraries), not a public library but the lack of understanding and respect for this profession is annoying.
I work in a library and our door count and circulation has risen steadily for many years. As Diane said, it's obvious you haven't been in a library for quite some time. To this, I say, I'm sorry. It's your loss.
I understand that in a court of law, "I saw it on google" defense doesn't work very well.
Also, I do think it's very clear that this person has not been in a library in the last 20 years.
Seriously, Dewey? That takes me back, my library got rid of dewey 15 years ago
I value my local library as a community center and as a place where I can still get–wait for it–a book. I am in your generation and there are many of us who still enjoy curling up with a good book. Looking at a computer screen all day and then reading books digitally at night often leads to severe headaches (for me). Many folks our age feel the same way I do…
Wow. .This article is the perfect example of why libraries and librarians are needed more than ever. There is a big difference between any information, and reliable, quality information. Sure you can find AN answer to most any question on the Internet, but is it the CORRECT answer? This article is a perfect example of how typing something up and displaying it in HTML does not make it true. It is clear you have no concept of the modern library, or the information needs of the average US citizen.
"I guarantee foot traffic in libraries declined. With fewer visitors, less books being check out…"
WRONG. Library traffic and circulation are way, way up. For instance, nationwide, public library traffic increased by over 30% in 2009.
As far as not being able to compete with "desktop libraries" AKA "the Google"…libraries aren't in a competition with the Internet, they are using it as a tool and helping people navigate it. The proliferation and success of library provided virtual reference services(real time chat research help with a librarian) prove that people need help finding quality information online. Then there are the online subscription databases that libraries provide to their communities…places where people can get real quality research and journal and newspaper articles ONLINE. Not to mention all the electronically available books and audiobooks available to be checked out from your library's website. You can use all kinds of library resources , and even chat with a librarian about which resources will be most helpful all from the comfort of your own home. I assure you though that print books are also still in high, high demand
The biggest problem libraries face is not the Internet, the Internet is the best thing to ever happen to libraries. The biggest problem libraries face is people like you who refuse to part with those few dollars a month in property tax to fund their local libraries because they haven't done any research to understand the large variety of great benefits libraries provide to a community. In addition to information in the form of books or online resources and more, and librarians to provide research help, libraries also provide Internet access to those who can't afford it, job search help, small business resources, and educational programming for children just to name a few.
Guess your wikipedia search didn't turn up any real statistics or quality information about modern libraries. Maybe next time you should ask a librarian for help.
I too am a member of generation Y. And a librarian. I understand your point that younger people prefer online resources, they want their info NOW, and they want it to come to them. I agree. What I still don't think you get is that libraries provide a WEALTH of online resources. Librarians LOVE the Internet because it allows us to get information to people who need it more effectively. You can check out electronic books, you can browse subscription databases for full-text newpaper and journal articles and you can even get online research help in the form of 24/7 chat with a librarian–all with the click of a mouse or a tap of the iphone from a library website.
And the reason all the librarians are a little upset is because we hear this argument ALL the time from people who don't know the facts. It gets old. Because of opinions like this, we have been getting our budgets cut left and right while we have more and more people to help. I'm sure you can understand how frustrating that is. I'm glad you took the time to check out some of the citations, facts and information people have provided and adjusted your opinion accordingly. There is hope yet.
Libraries & librarians help communities be better whether that community is an academic instituation, a municipality, or an organization.
I'm a gen-y librarian at a Fortune 100 company. While we do have a physical collection, we, like many many other libraries are heavily involved in providing electronic resources. Whether or not one use the physical resources or not, libraries provide treasure troves of electronic resources to their communities that can be accessed from a desktop. Many of these resources are behind paywalls (that we pay for) because quality, authoritative information is not free.
And while the majority of the world is becoming more search savvy, librarians can help people navigate the information landscape and help people get to reliable resources more quickly. The majority of people don't do secondary research on a regular basis, but librarians do. A user might putter around on Google for an hour looking for something when I can find it in 5 minutes because I engage in searching every day. Always leverage the librarian, if for no other reason than to save yourself time.
this is the reply i posted at brazen careerist. and may i also note, that you seriously make me ashamed to admit i'm in the genY demographic. i'm a librarian, i love it, and people my age and younger come in every day to use ALL of our resources. and note that many people are referring to you as a kid in the comments. with posts like this, that's exactly what you'll continue to be treated like: an uninformed, spoiled kid.
Sigh. So I'm a Reference Librarian, but in no way does my future income totally rely on libraries. I have numerous other skills so I won't die if Libraries go the way of the dinosaur. But they won't, and this is why.
Libraries, good ones, are like organisms. They adapt, the shift, they change to fit the needs of their patrons. I can only speak for public libraries, but academic, special and school libraries are very much the same in this case.
If you are going to a library with quiet signs everywhere, "secretaries" and confused people staring at shelves who are getting no help, you are in a library with shitty customer service, shittier marketing and even shittier UX policies.
Good, changing libraries are fully focused on the User Experience (UX). My library was built as a Carnegie library in 1893 (if you don't know about Carnegie and libraries, you should look it up). Before that, it was a social library, starting in 1792. My building has had two facelifts, retaining the original building and adding on more space and updated facilities over the years. My building is GORGEOUS, an old New England library. People love to come here. However, because the original building is protected by the Historic District and was donated by Andrew Carnegie, doesn't make its librarians or their policies outdated.
Just want to repeat the point many others have made: it seems you have not been in a library in years, and have no idea the kind of things they are doing these days.
Others have pointed out all the things going on the public library system these days, and their growth in popularity. I can speak more to the academic library side of things. As the library business has changed (and it certainly has changed, nobody is arguing that), the role of the librarian has adapted. You point out all the online sources that are available, but neglect to mention that the information literacy skills needed to evaluate those sources have lagged far behind, particularly when it comes to academic research. Academic librarians have taken on the challenge of teaching information literacy, and of managing the huge number of complicated information sources available to their students. It is the same kind of thing librarians have always done (managing information sources and teaching people how to use them), but now they are just using different sources and formats.
Libraries have always had a problem with perceived value. Since our society judges the value of things largely on its monetary cost, the fact that libraries are free ("you mean I can just walk in and take a book without paying?") results in people thinking they have no value. Of course, both those assumptions are wrong. They are not free (society has to support them), and they have incredible value, as seen by the usage statistics quoted by others.
Good luck doing historical research digitally…have you been to an archives lately? Business and science may be easy to research online, but the arts and humanities–not so much. Libraries are important cultural institutions that need to be preserved!
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You are an idiot. I use libraries AND computers which makes me and others like me way smarter than you ever will be. Unlike you, I know how to fact check the stuff on the web, which can be wrong. You are a mindless parrot spewing whatever pablum you are fed. I weep for America because of idiots such as yourself.
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