Technology and the end of Libraries

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As digital natives grow older and technology improves it makes one wonder what the fate of libraries will be. Long gone are the days of the card catalog, with computers taking their place. There is no more browsing the stacks for books on what ever subject has peaked interest, because the Dewey decimal system is no longer taught. Gone are the days of shelves of books as far as you can see, taken away to make room for endless banks of computers, movies and cd's. The click of keys and chatter from private rooms used for multiple purposes is steadily replacing the muffled flipping of pages as technology advances. With digital media becoming a staple for many libraries the restructuring of libraries across the nation are more prominent than ever. Definitions Digital Native: a person born into the age of computers and digital technology. Usually born after 1995. Libraries of the Future Over the past decade or so the way that humanity accesses information has changed. In “Libraries reinvent themselves as they struggle to remain relevant in the digital age” David Sarno tells of these changes; and how our digital lifestyles affect these institutions. With the availability of high speed internet on every device imaginable information is just a swipe or click away. Libraries are reinventing themselves by creating digital lending libraries, computer centers, and even game rooms for the younger generations. With digital access to almost any written work, libraries are seeing drops in circulation; and are trying to find ways to accommodate the digital lifestyles of today. With the invention of e-Readers and tablet computers, digital reading is at an all time high; consumers can buy books, subscribe to magazines and newspapers and have th... ... middle of paper ... ...s they struggle to remain relevant in the digital age." Los Angeles Times 12 November 2010, Web n. pag. Web. 23 Sep. 2013. Cottrell, Megan. “Paperless Libraries.” American Libraries 44.9/10 (2013): 11-12. Library Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. Web. 4 Nov. 2013 Harris, Frances Jacobson. I Found it on the Internet: Coming of Age Online. 5th. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005. 161. Print. Zickuher, Kathryn, Rainie, Lee, Purcell, Kristen, Library services in the digital age, Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 22, 2013, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services, December 10, 2013. “Digital Libraries.” Issues & Controversies. Facts on File News Services, 8 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. "The Future of Reading." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 19 Sept. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2013

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