Libraries in the Digital Age

For some reason there is a prevailing thought that a library is a very quiet place with the sole purpose to check-out books and in today’s world of e-readers and tablets even thought is probably followed by a resigned head shake.  I recently came across a co-worker’s comment that he believed that libraries were becoming obsolete and would be gone in 5 years.  What?  In his (half-hearted) defense, he works in the IT department and maybe doesn’t realize the library’s diverse role in the community.  For example, I just watched a video about the Bracewell Library (“Linking Seniors in a Digital World”) in Houston, Texas who offers computer classes for senior citizens.  These senior citizens learn how to navigate the online world, such as completing applications online or just communicating with their family and friends.  Another library, the Chinatown Branch (“A New Home for the American Dream”) in Los Angeles, California, not only offers computer classes but they offer it in a variety of languages and dialects to serve their large immigrant population.  My own father (who may not want to be referred to as a senior citizen) took computer classes and, before he finally purchased his own computer, used the computers that the library had available for public use.  Ok, let’s move past the senior citizens, what about the youngsters who have to do school research projects?  Sure, they can check-out few books on the person they most admire or on early California history, but libraries also provide databases with current and reliable information that will help them score that A-paper.  Libraries in the digital age are in full swing—too bad my co-worker doesn’t know it.

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A picture of an obsolete library? Hardly.