Your
Library
Connection
Do we really need libraries when we have
the Internet?
- The public library has become much more than a warehouse
for books or computers on a table. Those things are vital to a library, but
the library has moved into a broader role in society. According to the latest
national study on libraries, the public would like to see the library as a
community center and a safe place for teens.1 It should be a place
for all ages to gather and build relationships…the community’s living room.
- Have you ever done a Google search and gotten 1.7
million hits…or more? The broad array of information on the Internet is
incredible. It has also been described as being “a mile wide and an inch
deep” by Mark Herring.2 When you find a reliable source of
information on the topic of interest, the depth of coverage on many websites
and databases is very limited. The comprehensive collections of information
are often available on the Internet only for a fee-based subscription, not for
free. The library staff can help you find the information you need…from the
Internet and from other resources.
- When you get to the information that you were looking
for on the Internet, ask yourself if it is reliable and accurate. Remember
that there is no quality control on the web…anybody and everybody can post
websites. Though it is also not true that everything printed is accurate,
there are many more hoops (and editors) to go through to verify the
information and get published the traditional way. Check out
http://city-mankato.us/, which tells about Mankato, Minnesota. It states
”Mankato has everything thanks to a freak of
nature: the Sclare/Far Fissure. This fissure in the earth's crust takes water
seeping through the earth, heats it to well over 165 degrees, and sends it
back up to the surface in steam pits and boil holes. The heat from these pits
and holes heats the valley air to such an extent that the winter
temperature in many Mankato neighborhoods has never dropped below a balmy 70
degrees!!!!”3 Oh yes, well known facts about our northern
neighbor!
- Have you ever read a 300-page book on the Internet?
Many of the avid library users at the Independence Public Library frequently
check out novels and non-fiction materials for leisure reading purposes. Many
times it has been predicted that books will become a thing of the past.
Gerald Howard of Random House Publishing says this,
"A book is pretty well tailored to its function. It's portable, it doesn't
need a battery."
- The library is a great way to encourage and inspire
children of all ages. It is an important resource not only for the books
which are available to everyone regardless of social status or income, but the
programs which help establish reading skills and spark imaginations. This
summer 557 kids are participating in the children and teen summer reading
programs at the Independence Public library!
- The general public in America thinks it’s vital to have
public libraries. According to a recent national study about public
libraries, 63% say libraries perform an “essential” service in maintaining a
productive community and 78% of Americans say that if libraries were closed
because of lack of funding, communities would lose something important and
valuable.1 Today, library usage is up across the state and the
nation, as seen in a Today Show segment4 that ran on June 11th.
This has been referenced often in local and national news coverage during the
last several months.
References:
1“Long
Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About Libraries in the
21st Century.” New York: Public Agenda, 2006.
2Herring,
Mark. "10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library." American
Libraries 32 (2001): 76-78. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCOHost.
3Farnsworth,
R. Bruce. Mankato, MN Home Page. Mankato State University. 24 June 2009
<http://city-mankato.us/>.
4"Libraries Lend a Hand in Tough Times."
Today Show. NBC. 11 June 2009 <http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31237988#31237988>.
Home Pictures Donations Services
Calendar of Events Web
and Reference Resources Kids'
Resources New
Books and Materials Online Catalog
Community Resources Library Connections
Friends of the Library