Do we need libraries anymore?

1. 73

   KevinC9998posted 12 years ago

   Do we need libraries anymore?

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2. 60

   FloraBreenRobisonposted 12 years ago

   Yes, we do. Not everyone can afford to buy books. Even if the print media completely died out and everything was electronically-a long way off-people still need to buy a book to download or an e-reader-not inexpensive to buy a kindle.
   
   Sometimes the copyright has lapsed. But that takes a long time. My local library had e-readers to borrow.

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3. 60

   shea duaneposted 12 years ago

   yes, libraries are places where young people learn to love reading. they are social places where reading-based activities and crafts happen and come to life for little ones. they are houses of learning and special resources for families. children need exposure to many different books in order to find their favorites, and not everyone can afford to drop a thousand a month at a book store.

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4. 62

   freecampingaussieposted 12 years ago

   Yes ! They are great for those who cannot afford the luxury of buying books,owning a computer or even buying the local paper.
   I love being able to read papers from other places while there !

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5. 78

   Vinaya Ghimireposted 12 years ago

   Yes, we need libraries. But in my city, many libraries are desperately in need of visitors.

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6. 84

   Happyboomernurseposted 12 years ago

   I agree with what Shea has said. I feel that we need libraries more than ever now as a place where people who love to learn and read can gather together for social contact. Many are more isolated than ever, connected by their interactions on computers but personal interaction is equally important. Our local library hosts many events including lectures, book clubs, concerts, movies and children's activities and it is one of the few places family and friends can gather together for free entertainment and social activities.

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7. 65

   leroy64posted 12 years ago

   The libraries here in Dallas are always crowded.  We have free public computers as long as you have a library card.  There are also people reading actual books and checking them out.  I doubt libraries are going away any time soon.

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8. 72

   truthfornowposted 12 years ago

   Yes because there are people like me who love to read and have little money to spend on books.  Libraries are great for getting free books and movies.

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9. 85

   wychicposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely! They're the only way I can be a true bibliophile with really no money to spare for it -- not to mention, you get to read a lot more than you would if you had to buy every book or pay for a subscription to some kind of service for them. I already spend 8-12 hours a day on the computer for my business, the last thing I want is to be staring at another screen while I'm relaxing with a good book. The library is also a great "third place" to go when you need to get away from home for a bit -- ours has a little external room with a cappuccino machine and free WiFi that I think most people don't even know is there, I love to go there and work or read.

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10. 77

    sweethearts2posted 12 years ago

    Absolutely!!! Never mind the cost savings of buying books (a huge factor, but not the only important one).  Libraries offer a teaching opportunity in sharing and caring for property that belongs to others.  It allows us to see the treasure of written words, documents and offers a glimpse into different lives, governments, societies, dreams, etc. without the click of a mouse and the blink of a screen. I love the computer for research but I love walking into a large library.  It awakens all our senses: sight; touch; smell.  It provides an opportunity for companionship.  This is why I think the book stores changed their environment to resemble libraries with chairs and tables, etc.they became a gathering place.  Now that book stores are closing, libraries are still there (I hope forever) to allow us to gather and learn both from the written word and our fellow borrows.  The tech age doesn't allow us to borrow a book, sit with our children, turn each page (at times trying to turn more than one at a time-I've bee guilty) and share a bedtime story and return it knowing it will bring another child (and parent) great joy.

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11. 81

    Barbsbitsnpiecesposted 12 years ago

    Oh, oh, oh, ouch! Yes, we need libraries still, and forever! Their services in the communities are invaluable, and their original concept to freely share reading materials in a free society lives and breathes with each of us! I hope a generation to come never ever considers doing away with libraries: within lies our history, our progress, our life-blood!
    
    Sharing books with our children, exposing them to the halls and shelves of knowledge, reading with them colorful, bright pages of life, giving them the world they will inherit -- that is priceless!!
    
    Technology is the cold father of invention. Do not discard books, born of the warmth of Mother Nature!

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12. 93

    Blond Logicposted 12 years ago

    Definitely!
    I used the local library all the time in England. There were people of all ages in there. Toddlers in a corner, listening to stories, elderly people who went everyday to read the newspapers, and younger adults learning computer skills.
    
    This was a thriving little library in a small market town. The librarians knew virtually everything and if they didn't they knew who to ask. They would often suggest books that I might like to read.
    
    A library is an integral part of the community, and when a library is shut down, other services won't be far behind. If people don't support a local library, then they only have themselves to blame when they have to drive to an out of town shopping area.

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13. 85

    M. T. Dremerposted 12 years ago

    Just to start, I want to say that I don't personally use a library. I prefer to purchase my own books and use my own computer, and I'm not really social enough to want to go to any of the programs. Having said that, I do work in a library and the answer is crystal clear; we need libraries more now than ever.
    
    I can't tell you how many people use the computers because they can't afford an internet connection, or because they need help finding a job or writing a resume. Or how many people are on the list of calls to be made because their books are available to pick up. Or how many people showed up to the most recent events. People wait outside in the minutes before we open and stay until we have to remind them three times to leave. There is no question, in my mind, that we still need libraries. The problem is that their funding is getting cut left and right, despite that increased need.

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14. 57

    SpaceAgeposted 12 years ago

    2 some point, no. then again, we can still borrow movies. info has gone Hi tech, so we don't really need 2 borrow many books any more. I even recall when our library had a card file, until it went computerized.

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15. 60

    powerofknowledge1posted 12 years ago

    Yes we need libraries. Not every one is able to buy books so for those who do not have enough money to buy books libraries are needed. But now days most of libraries going online. Like itab and amazon kindle provide e books.
    
    Libraries are the place where not only one can read books but you can interact with different kind of people. Library is a place where you can get some mental peace from the busy life. You can share your thoughts with your friends in libraries.
    
    But now people are busy. They have itabs, amazon kindle and many more products like that where they can easily get e books of their choice.
    
    Its my opinion if we get everything online then may be some day "Library" is the word found only in History Books only.

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16. 60

    trecords0posted 12 years ago

    I have been thinking the same thing for about a year now.  The answer is a sad no.  As an author I would hate to see the institution go, but as a realist, they are an economic drain.  Everything in a library can be put online and will be (except the smell and physicality of holding a book).  They will be a thing of the past withing a few generations.  I don't like the idea of it, but look at how many book stores are going out of business.

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