The new public library is
the old library PLUS. The
tools that bring us information are no longer just books, magazines and
newspapers, but now include videos, audiocassettes, CD-ROMs, online
reference resources, the library’s Web Site, and the Internet. Librarians continue to be specialists at selecting,
organizing, and categorizing information to make finding it easier and
faster than ever before. They
are applying those same skills to computers and guiding the public in
learning how to use these latest technological tools that are so critical
in today’s world. Libraries
are one of the few places where you can get help from an expert -- the
librarian -- in finding the precise information you need whether online or
in some other form.
The evolving national
information infrastructure is making previously unimagined amounts and
types of knowledge available online. While this new technology promises vast riches of information, it
also threatens those who can not afford computers or do not know how to
use them -- a trend known as the digital divide. According to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, families with incomes
over $50,000 are five times more likely to have access to computers and 10
times more likely to have access to online services than other families. Libraries have historically served as the nation's great equalizers
of knowledge, providing books and other resources to all people regardless
of their ability to pay. This
role is more critical than ever in the new era of electronic information. To help bridge the gap between the information rich and information
poor, libraries provide free public access to the Internet and other vital
resources, and teach people of all ages to use the new technology.
Libraries are places with
life changing power where children can get a head start on reading by
participating in preschool story hour and where adults can pursue the
learning necessary to effect positive life changes. It can provide powerful opportunities, as shown by the
following winning entry from the American Library Association’s Essay
Contest “Libraries Change Lives.”
“When I first learned my
son Mark had Down’s Syndrome, it seemed like the end. The library helped me find books to read about this disability that
gave me understanding and hope. I
began checking out books for Mark when he was two months old. I read to him daily. By
the time he was three, he would repeat words from the stories. For his ability to talk and read today, I thank the
library.” Constance Hodder,
Princeton, NJ.
Libraries are places that
foster the love of reading and learning in children. Librarians have always been the guardians of child literacy. They know how to interest kids in reading. They know that reading creates strong readers and workers and good
citizens. Illiteracy is a
problem that affects us all, perhaps not directly, but indirectly through
crime and lost productivity. Being
able to read is a basic survival skill in today's information society. Without the variety of interesting materials and youth programming
that libraries can provide, reading can be boring to kids who are
entranced by the excitement of television and video. In fact, many children who once disliked reading have told
librarians they now prefer reading over television, that is, since someone
took the time to introduce them to the library.
Libraries serve as
community activity centers where people can attend special programs and
community groups can meet. They
are also instrumental in providing access to those with disabilities
through special needs equipment such as talking books and equipment for
the blind, a machine that converts printed words into spoken words, and
devices to amplify hearing and enlarge words on a screen.
Libraries are still places
to get a good book. You can
find out how to prepare for an interview, plan a trip, or start a
business. You can write a
report or resume. You can
check your stocks, search your family tree, or learn how to line dance . Some question the need for libraries when everyone can get
all the information they need from computers in their offices and homes. Electronic information is not replacing books any more than
airplanes have replaced automobiles - just providing another method to
obtain information. In fact,
statistics show there are more books, magazines, and newspapers being
published today than ever before and that computerization is actually
increasing the demand for books. Computer
technology is drawing people into the library and is spurring the use of
the library's books and information resources. Libraries will continue to serve their communities best by focusing
on what they have always done well: giving customers the help they need to
get the information they need. |
