Technology today is so advanced most people don’t need to go to the library for information anymore. With the increased purchases of MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, and laptops, people can obtain information quicker through these devices with their capability to connect to the Internet than from going to the local library. The most popular search engine patrons will visit, regardless of the authenticity of the information, is Google where they can ask their questions and be deluged with pages of print instead of going to a trained librarian to find credible and thorough information.
What about the building itself? What does it have to offer today and in the future for patrons to see it as more than just rooms full of books? Does the space need to change? Can libraries evolve with current trends? What will attract patrons to walk through the doors and keep cause them to make return visits? Some of the questions this author asked herself when considering the issue of library space were what would prevent libraries from changing, what reasons should libraries change, and what could be added to libraries to increase their appeal to the patrons. Although factors exist that may work against altering room in libraries, there are compelling grounds for reconfiguring space in today’s libraries.
There are several reasons why libraries might not make any space changes. First of all, the kind of revenue the library receives has an impact. Joe Rizzo states in his article “Ten ways to look at a library,” “the design of a library affects not only construction costs, but also maintenance and operating costs” (323). It is very costly to build additions to house such spaces as teen rooms or meeting rooms onto an existing structure. ...
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“Can we keep our libraries?” Smith takes the position on behalf of all of the library activists, stepping out of his point of view, and assimilating his viewpoint to speak for the people’s as well. She specifically uses the word “we” to make the audience feel included and apart of the movement to keep libraries. Rather than only referring to only statistics and evidence, Smith appeals emotionally to the audience, emphasizing that we are humans, not robots, and there is something intrinsic about the library that should not be taken away. Additionally, she utilizes a literary technique of allegory to portray an abstract idea as a form of character, illustrating Mr. “Notmytaxes” as the notion of people that do not want to pay for libraries because they do not use them in the first place. She brings out a “call to action”, asking the authorities to think more seriously about the consequences and bring more weight into their
Who can resist a book with a chapter titled, "Labia Lumps, Chunky Discharge, and Other Things They Never Taught Me in Library School"? Released this past summer, Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out takes no prisoners as its contributors ponder everything from the backtracking of '60s values by ALA's baby boomers to librarian imagery in erotica. This edited volume is a sequel to a 1972 self-published book titled Revolting Librarians. The original is worth checking out for its historical value alone. The editors of the 2003 volume, Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West gathered essays from ten of the original writers from the 1972 book for this version and it is interesting to see what thirty years has done to these radical librarians.
-The Library uses a mandatory reservation system; students must sign up in advance. I walked into the library and there was light chatter, but it was fairly quiet. The only people standing up were the certificated librarian and the classified library assistant.
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The granite central arch of the Boston Public Library bears an inscription: FREE.TO.ALL. These words capture the spirit of the library, the first large municipally funded library in the United States. The Boylston Street building was built to meet the growing demand for a public library, with the previously existing library on Mason Street having outgrown its purpose. Built in 1895, the building is an outstanding example of Renaissance Beaux Art style, and was intended as a “palace for the people,” a philosophy which was reflected in both its design and its cost. As Peter Arms Wick writes, it is “One of Boston’s proudest monuments, perhaps the most admired, discussed and influential public buildings in American architectural
This library system is utilizing all the technologies and materials available to them to serve the community in the best way. Despite certain social indicators and demographic statistics indicating that the library should not be overly utilized, it is thriving and is heavily in use. There are areas that the library can look to improve based on statistical evidence, such as reaching out to the low income population and the over 55 years age group. This library seems to be meeting numerous needs for a wide range of patrons, and doing it well.
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid." July/August 2008. The Alantic Magazine. 20 February 2012 .
Libraries are accessible to almost everyone in the country. For a couple of dollars we are given access to thousands of books and works of literature. They hold all different types, but the treasure trove is in the well loved books, the books that we can open up and see the borrowing card filled with names from the 1950’s. These books are precious, for their meanings and messages have yet to change. Students still read these books in school as well and it is incredibly important that they continue to for these are the books that every generation can relate to, that every generation can discuss. A child born in 2010 can sit down with their grandparents who were born in 1940 and discuss
The library, like many symbols signifies silence, thought and work. You would not walk into a library expecting to be served drinks, and to see people dancing on bookshelves. The library evokes an image of peacefulness, in which people are diligently working; yet a closer examination reveals the not so serene value of a library visit.
When walking into the library, one sees rows of computers placed in the center. Tables are against the walls, and in the center is a librarian’s desk. What one doesn’t see is the library begging for more space. Students are cramped at the small tables trying to share the space with each other. The library
The flood of material that resulted forced the construction of a new building that opened in 1897.A new age for the library was guided by the opening of the Jefferson building and The Main Reading room. Special format collections were separated from the book collections and the readers could access them in different locations of the library. Some of these format collections were maps, prints, music, and manuscripts. The continued growth of the library’s collection required two new buildings at the location of the library, Capitol Hill.
Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Magazine - The Atlantic. (n.d.). The Atlantic — News and analysis on politics, business, culture, technology, national, international, and life – TheAtlantic.com. Retrieved April 21, 2012, from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/
Just like waking up in the morning and inhaling my first conscious-breath of the day, reading is something essential to me. As I child, I used to dream of having my own and private reading place where I would sit and spend my whole day reading my favorite books without any disturbance. Thanks to my dreams, I now have a wonderful private library in my house. This place is not similar to any other ordinary library but a mini place where you can find a massive number of interesting books of different varieties.