Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
... but romanticism aside, libraries ARE for storing books/recorded knowledge. When they are no longer needed for that purpose, they are no longer needed. Communities can (and will) congregate, and read to each other, elsewhere.
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Not just storing- for sharing information whatever the format. My local library pays for many database which are expensive, and provides total access with a library card. Examples of this would be subscription business and genealogy databases. The library is also a place to learn and make use of computers and technologies for the economically disadvantaged. It may be true the library will need less physical space in the future, but the fundamental philosophical and democratic justifications for a public library's existence will remain.
The library will continue to adapt to current trends, and help ensure that access to information is equitable to all, not just those who are most technologically literate.