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Originally Posted by GlenBarrington
Culturally, the internet has taken the place of the library.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogue_librarian
I couldn't disagree more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlenBarrington
Can you expand on your thoughts?
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Certainly. A library is not just a random collections of books (or all media, for that matter), it is a curated collection, a selection of what's available, geared towards the needs of its patrons (as general or specialized as they may be). It has, by necessity, a system to order that available collection, to sort, categorize and make available to its patrons. It has specialist staff that can help them track down what they're looking for, make further recommendations etc. It is, in other words, almost but not entirely
unlike the internet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlenBarrington
I think the cultural shift that the internet has brought about is quite profound, and we need to explore all avenues.
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Oh, certainly. It's just not taken the place of libraries, and don't think it ever will. I'd be a fool to argue that the internet is not important or hasn't brought about profound changes.