NEWS: Making Libraries Relevant

CULTURE: Making Libraries Relevant

Modern libraries compete directly with many forms of cultural communication: television, video games, online social networking sites, and “hanging out” wherever young people congregate. So, how does one meld the modern library with other competitive sites of socializing? The library does what it does best:collect specific forms of media and share them with the library’s patrons.

I think its success comes from not giving itself up to media fads by avoiding books, but by staying relevant enough to house both, providing space for congregation, and making sure that everyone has a space to make out while watching old episodes of M*A*S*H.

That's my favorite way to make out.

I hope I don't live to see the end of libraries as we know them. I ♥ libraries.

[Edited on Apr 29, 2006 by MrStitches]

You know, I thought when this trend started that it would destroy libraries, but so long as they approach all forms of media equally, I can't think of anything wrong with it.

I personally would prioritize books. Not necessarily because they're more valuable (although in some ways I think they are), but because libraries are really the only way to do anything equivalent to "renting" a book. It's nice to have the other media around, makes things more of a one-stop-shop sort of thing, and draws people who might not otherwise come in (who will then hopefully find books they want to read at some point), but there are other venues for those things. So they're not as crucial.

That said, I think that's more or less how libraries currently operate. I know there are certainly a lot more carts full of books to shelve passing through my work area than carts of videos or CDs.

I wasn't trying to imply that I think this hurts libraries. But how long can this keep libraries "relavent"? The way the internet is going, people will be able to read books and watch movies and music for free, or at least cheaply, online legally, and I think people will prefer that to going to the library for it. Really libraries won't be neccesary if you can find any book you need available on the nets, but nothing can replace the actual experience of skulking through your library and finding a great book.

But a big driving force of that is public libraries! If it weren't for public universities and libraries, you really wouldn't have much of an internet to begin with. And the only people who are going to take the time out of the day to accurately catalog media in a standardized way are working for libraries.

I don't really see this as "competing" (though there is a certain degree of that), but really libraries are trying to complement the rich media experiences that people have in day to day life.

Sure, if you want to find a bunch of videos of cats falling off of things, YouTube is a great site. But if you want to reference anything "serious" (by that I mean hard sciences, literature and historical research, journals, peer-reviewed articles, primary sources, etc.) you are going to have deal with a library. Maybe not by physically going there, but they would have catalogued the article electronically.

[Edited on Apr 30, 2006 10:52AM]

I spend so much time at my library. I have access to every library in my region, plus every university library in the state, and there is such a wealth of stuff. And being able to order stuff from home has actually got me going there more. And with overdue fines, I probably generate a lot more than I use.

I ♥ libraries and frankly this thread is no news to me. Libraries will never die.

Just the title of this thread irritates me....

That's never going to happen, at least not for a very long time. I work for the second largest jewish library in the world and it would take an insanely long time to put everything we have into an online database. Now, try applying this to the US public libraries and it gets even crazier. Digitizing is also a painfully slow process, so there have to be leaps and bounds made in technology before the dream of this even one day becoming reality can begin.

Google has had plans for a while to start a huge online library. It was in the news a lot last year.

What exactly is involved in becoming a proper librarian?

College degree...masters in library sciences helps.

I visit my local library at least twice a week, often three or four times.
I can log on from home to reserve books and rent dvds for free.
I my library.
To be a librarian these days I believe a masters degree is required.

What kind of courses are involved in that? Is it just lit courses and like advanced dewey decimal system?

Most of my friends are librarians, and those with the Masters have said they are the easiest classes they've ever taken (a lot on how to research without internet, filing systems, etc). No lit classes at all...plus their union paid for it.
,

[Edited on Apr 30, 2006 by PointBlank]

These are the Rutgers Requirements.

Damn, that's not bad. I've thought about trying to get into the library racket, but the thought of having to sit through lit classes again makes my soul cry.

Not to mention no one's been able to get successfully a digital book onto the market yet. And no one wants to read a book on the computer. Message boards are unpleasant enough.

Also, to work in a library you don't necessarily need to be a librarian. They're pretty near the top of the food chain, of course (although there's management, as in any large scale effort), but you can make a decent if not exceptional living clerking, or providing technical services. As far as I can tell the only requirement to be a clerk is that you be able to type reasonably fast (and even that may not necessarily apply in a library setting, I tested for a generic clerk/typist position which has different particulars depending on the part of the county you wind up working for.)

Of course, I haven't noticed much turnover at all in those positions, so actually finding an opening would be the tricky part.

Precisely. Many people, including myself, love the luxury of lying in bed or relaxing in a chair while holding a good book. Hell, I'm one of those weirdos who loves the smell of books and can name the favorites from my bookcase.

This thread makes me happy. I had no idea there were so many other library lovers out there. "The hip place to be", indeed.

Yes, I am well known at my local bar for sitting around with my current book and a Guinness, I would not be me with a laptop in front of me.

The majority of programs can be done online now. If you'd like to know more, we have a Librarians group here on SG!

[Edited on Apr 30, 2006 by bibliachica]