Are public libraries an anachronism in the digital age?

[Guest]

Time was when the only role of a public library was to loan books for a few weeks and charge pennies a day when the books were overdue. A librarians' job was to occasionally say, "Shush."

Today, there are libraries across New Jersey that allow patrons to download books, borrow gadgets, at´tend jazz concerts in meeting rooms, learn computer skills, gain access to professional journals, receive passes to museums and, if they can't get to the library, receive books by mail.

"Libraries are living and breathing and changing every day," said Romina Gutierrez, whose job title at the Princeton Public Library reflects the change. She is the library's technology initiative librarian.

"It used to be the library was a passive place," said Kathleen Peiffer, the associate state librarian for library development."It was all about books.

"Today most libraries have just about any type of media. If it's about information it doesn't matter where it's from," said Peiffer, noting how modern libraries have CDs, DVDs, downloadable books and access to information that would not be free if a user sought the information outside a library system.

"I find it an exciting time to be a librarian," said Irene Goldberg, director of the Monroe Township Public Library who has been a librarian since the late 1960s. "I remember when getting a copying machine was a major technological breakthrough."

Still, the old role is thriving. According to the New Jersey State Library, circulation of books and other materials rose from 55.8 million in 2007 to 63.9 million in 2009, a rise of 14.5 percent.

The new role is working, too. In 2009 attendance at events at the state's public libraries (3.6 million) was nearly equal to attendance at Yankee Stadium (3.7 million). The difference was library events were free.

The old role was based on access to the printed page. "In the digital realm this is changing," said Doug Baldwin, the systems administrator of the Cranbury Public Library. "There are different databases--thousands of periodicals, newspapers you can access at the library or at home

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110101071

[Guest]

Interesting article.

[Guest]

I find the article very dated and missleading, it talks about all the new things that libraries can do in the digital age without exploring Streaming and how that will drastically change what a library will be in the future. Streaming will eliminate CDs, DVDs and physical books/magazines in the very near future. Libraries will then just be public meeting rooms that have connectivity, a very small shared public area, that's all, no need for inventory, it will be all online 24x7. This article doesnt acknowledge the evolution that is happening now with media. Its like comparing Libraries to BlockBuster, that its evolving, not just movies anymore, now you can rent games, blueray, buy CDs, popcorn, etc. Well Netflixs has evolved to not only mail media but stream it also, and has put Blockbuster into bankruptcy. The libraries that are referenced in this article will be drastically diffrent in the next 5 yrs, the Public library will be an online service strictly with a few public rooms to hold events.

[Guest]

Libraries are very interesting places today. They deal with our changing technologies and offer everyone whatever platform they like/need to find and use information. While the digital form captures everyone’s imagination, the fact is that the printed format still accounts for 95% of the publishing industry. Yes, this percentage will change, but count on the public library to deal with it. Comparing a library with for profit companies is not comparing similar entities. I enjoyed reading about how Princeton Public Library, who frankly have the money to try anything, offered to send book out by mail, like Netflix, but found that people preferred the library experience. Public libraries are like community living rooms.

[Guest]

Maybe, we can get a library with a Starbucks in it?

[Guest]

[Guest]

Cranbury Public Library is planning for the future. Nothing will change right now. It can't. There isn't the money. But I see no problem for looking ahead...

[Guest]

[Guest]