33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important

While researching ideas for this blog I ran across an article by Will Sherman(http://www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/librarians-needed) that discussses what I have always told students, parents, and anyone else that would listen that librarians and libraries are not obsolete. We're important now more than ever with the internet and all the blessings and problems that come with it. I have included some snippets that I hope will whet your appetite for the article.

Many predict that the digital age will wipe public bookshelves clean, and permanently end the centuries-old era of libraries. Technology’s baffling prowess and progress even has one librarian predicting the institution’s demise. He could be right. But if he is, then the loss will be irreplaceable. As libraries’ relevance comes into question, they face an existential crisis at a time they are perhaps needed the most. Despite their perceived obsoleteness in the digital age both libraries – and librarians – are irreplaceable for many reasons. 33, in fact. I have listed a sampling here:

• Not everything is available on the internet


• The internet complements libraries, but it doesn’t replace them


• School Libraries and Librarians Improve Student Test Scores


• Libraries aren’t just books


• Mobile devices aren’t the end of books, or libraries


• Library attendance isn’t falling – it’s just more virtual now


• Physical libraries are adapting to cultural change


• Librarians are the irreplaceable counterparts to web moderators


• Libraries are stable while the web is transient


• Not everyone has access to the internet


• Not everyone can afford books

Conclusion:

Society is not ready to abandon the library, and it probably won’t ever be. Libraries can adapt to social and technological changes, but they can’t be replaced. While libraries are distinct from the internet, librarians are the most suited professionals to guide scholars and citizens toward a better understanding of how to find valuable information online. Indeed, a lot of information is online. But a lot is still on paper. Instead of regarding libraries as obsolete, state and federal governments should increase funding for improved staffing and technology. Rather than lope blindly through the digital age, guided only by the corporate interests of web economics, society should foster a culture of guides and guideposts. Today, more than ever, libraries and librarians are extremely important for the preservation and improvement of our culture.

Thoughts from a librarian in Wisconsin:

It is a good comparison between the Internet and libraries. Recently I did an online research class for a group of local home schoolers. I asked them to compare Google and the library. They used a lot of the standard answers (listed on the 33 Reasons post) and I was able to talk about authority and reliability. Most of the kids believed that if they saw it online, it was true.I know the 33 Reasons posting is lighting up the biblio-blog-o-sphere (fancy talk for library blogs), but I wanted to share it with the patrons, politicians and citizens that support public libraries.