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Originally Posted by pdam
I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment ... but that was what you DID, many of the functions you mention can be easily (and possibly moreeffectively) replicated elsewhere within a college. Should the library service (or building) really perform all of these functions in the future? There are no such things as reading rooms in the UK anymore - but these were the only place for public reading in 19C, serving as places for general discourse, learning and politcal debate. 100 years later we have libraries, and the rate of change is MUCH faster. Will there be libraries in another 20 years - if so what will they actually evolve into - it certainly won't be what we knew when we used them either at college, school or in the community ...
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There will still be a need for traditional libraries in twenty years. Considering trends toward paid content, more restrictive copyright laws, and hihger fees for internet access, I think its safe to say that there will be tens of millions of people in this country who will not have the resources to fully participate in digital information.