Filed under: Uncategorized
We have all heard it many times, outrage voices: I can’t believe you let them play computer games in the library. They’re so loud; libraries should be for reading; for studying. And we also heard: we [libraries] have to move on; people don’t read so we have to give them what they want; technology is our future.
Really? I mean, do we really have to choose one way over another? Cannot libraries be the place where you can read books (Harry Potter as well as Tolstoy), work on your dissertation, ask about the nearest battery recycling place, and play Guitar Hero? Do we have to burn our books because we bought new computers and set up a ‘download your ebook’ service? Or is it that because we have books we cannot have Wiis as well?
As you beloved reader can guess, I do not believe that there is any conflict between the technology and our library tradition. It is not one or another. It is about building on our tradition. It is embracing technology in accord with our tradition. It is, well, what libraries were always about: embracing the new so we can enhance ourselves and thus better serve our users. Let us be libraries.
1 Comment so far
Leave a comment
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
I agree that we need to have it both ways. While I love that people no longer have to be silent at the library and are allowed to have fun, we need those quiet spaces in the library where people can engage in those activities that you mentioned. I think libraries can and should offer both of these options.
Comment by anne502 March 1, 2008 @ 8:23 pm