I think librarians are supposed to help peop find books and give advice on research. However, pretty much every librarian I have met has been a wee bit cranky and often downright mean. I mean, I understand tha that libraries have rules- and I follow them 99% of the time, but they always get angry with me during that 99% of the time-- not once have I been caught chewing gum in the library or eating a granola bar in a study carrel. Nope, I get yelled at for standing in the wrong line to check out a book or for plugging my computer into an (unmarked) out of service outlet.
I think it would be cool if librarians stopped being so uptight about the books-- I'm not going to flush it down the toilet or run over it with my car or stick my gum between the pages- I just want to sit quietly at the table and read. It would also be great if they knew more about computers-- I do a lot of research, and I am a computer disaster magnet; I would die if something happened to my work.
The library of the future will definitely be composed of all digital books. Everyone will have a kindle or an iPad or a Nook. Only really old, prestigious libraries like the Harvard Library System or- I don't know- the New York Public Library- will have paper books. They'll probably be regarded as precious artifacts- like cave drawings or ancient scrolls. Although I am looking forward to this because of the amount of trees that will be savd, it is kind of grim to imagine turning to the first page of the Iliad and not being greeted by the great smell of an old book. Sad thought.
Alaina-
ReplyDeleteFirst I have to say how impressed I am with your writing skills! You renew my faith in younger generations. I am so sorry your experience to this point has been cranky librarians. I know that in small libraries the budget can be pretty small to repair or replace materials not to mention hire more staff. Lots of school librarians I know have to do jobs that three people couldn't easily do. Its not an excuse but it makes me sympathize with them a little more. I operate on the belief that every person deserves polite and efficient customer service. I think youll find the most of the staff here at the Health Science Library also operate under that belief!
As your your library of the future, that future is almost here. I own a Kindle and LOVE it. I can carry 100s of books in my purse for the size of a small paperback! The smell of old books is pleasant to a book lover but the dust and germs they accumulate are something I do not miss. If you ever get to help a library pack up to move or reshelve whole sections you will see what I mean. I do like and agree with your opinion that books will one day "be regarded as precious artifacts!" I do think though we have a future where those ancient relics will be at our finger tips in the form of a HD scanned version. Im looking forward to access to historical documents that are too precious to be checked out or handled. Exciting!