Quote:
Originally Posted by Ankh
I was playing the devil's advocate, Barcey, and introduced an inflated counter-argument as an illustration.
As it is said in the opening message to this topic, I am certain only of one thing: the digitalization of the content is what is called "the disruptive technology", the one that redefines the game. The attempt to cling to the analogy with pbooks doesn't cut it, both for publishers, consumers, and here, for an institution with a long tradition. It is testing and redefining everything related to books.
I do apologize for the way how this topic turned political. It was my assumption that the political potential of the topic is self-evident.
Be it as it may, it seems to me that almost every person who expressed his opinion was talking about a change, even if it was only a minor "fix" to the way how public libraries operate today. It seems to me that we are in violent agreement: a change is upon us.
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I agree with you. My local city is trying to put through a major upgrade to the core library branch and there's been a lot of vocal opposition to it. People think that libraries are obsolete because their kids don't want to use them any more, they just look up everything on the internet. It doesn't help that the library has been trying to keep themselves relevant by loaning music, movies and art. When they see that their tax dollars are paying for their neighbour to watch "Hot Tub Time Machine" it doesn't help the support.
I don't think the general public know what the core services are that the libraries should be providing but the disruptive technology is going to force the conversations in the next decade.