Town to close library, open electronic center. Is this the future?

L.J. Sellers · 03-28-2011, 08:14 PM

Newport Beach, Calif., will close one of its branches and add an "electronic" area to a new community center to replace it. The new space will have computers and access to e-books but no physical books. It seems like a smart move in a struggling economy combined with a changing world of reading.
I'll bet we'll see a lot more of this. What do you think?

http://www.dailypilot.com/news/educa...,4121813.story

L.J.

wyndslash · 03-28-2011, 08:16 PM

i still think librarians are necessary, although perhaps in a different capacity. or maybe we'll see a new breed altogether, and they'll be called...e-brarians

Giggleton · 03-28-2011, 08:23 PM

Librarians will always be necessary, they are the gatekeepers of knowledge.

I'm not really understanding the article, it seems like they are closing one library and then turning their community center into another library sans books. No big deal, I wonder what will happen to all those books though??

MV64 · 03-28-2011, 09:26 PM

It's a good idea in theory, but there simply aren't enough books available as e-books to truly do the same justice to knowledge that physical libraries do.

MaggieScratch · 03-29-2011, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Librarians will always be necessary, they are the gatekeepers of knowledge.

"Pathfinder" might be a better word than "gatekeeper," IMO. The latter implies that librarians are barring access to information, and nothing could be further from the truth.

queentess · 03-29-2011, 11:45 AM

I see this as an extension of libraries, something that should coexist with libraries. Might be a great way to keep the knowledge out there, but require less staffing and less budget. Shut down libraries you can no longer afford to fund, but turn them into something useful like this. I think it's great.

tubemonkey · 03-29-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

Newport Beach, Calif., will close one of its branches and add an "electronic" area to a new community center to replace it. The new space will have computers and access to e-books but no physical books. It seems like a smart move in a struggling economy combined with a changing world of reading.
I'll bet we'll see a lot more of this. What do you think?

http://www.dailypilot.com/news/educa...,4121813.story

L.J.

I like it. I give them a big

for that move.

tubemonkey · 03-29-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

i still think librarians are necessary, although perhaps in a different capacity. or maybe we'll see a new breed altogether, and they'll be called...e-brarians

Maybe they can contract them out to some service in a far away land

"Thank you for calling local library. My name Peggy. Happy time."

carpetmojo · 03-29-2011, 05:14 PM

Yeah - lala land ?

Anthem · 03-29-2011, 10:18 PM

Cool idea. Keeping the two in tandem is probably the best option for the foreseeable future, but who knows where things will go.

JeremyR · 03-30-2011, 01:16 AM

Already books seem to be the lowest priority in libraries in my area (St. Louis). Computers, dvds, cds, and even video games seem to come first.

cathie · 03-30-2011, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

I see this as an extension of libraries, something that should coexist with libraries. Might be a great way to keep the knowledge out there, but require less staffing and less budget. Shut down libraries you can no longer afford to fund, but turn them into something useful like this. I think it's great.

I agree. Though there is still a need for physical books in some cases.

wyndslash · 03-30-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Maybe they can contract them out to some service in a far away land

"Thank you for calling local library. My name Peggy. Happy time."

if they do, they will probably have branches here

khalleron · 03-30-2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MV64

It's a good idea in theory, but there simply aren't enough books available as e-books to truly do the same justice to knowledge that physical libraries do.

You're kidding right?

2 million ebooks aren't enough for you?

pagansoul · 04-01-2011, 03:19 PM

I don't think the problem is not enough ebooks but not enough readers. They are still not very common and books can be used by almost everyone.

03-28-2011, 08:14 PM	#1
L.J. Sellers Novelist Posts: 287 Karma: 387979 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eugene, Oregon Device: Kindle	Town to close library, open electronic center. Is this the future? Newport Beach, Calif., will close one of its branches and add an "electronic" area to a new community center to replace it. The new space will have computers and access to e-books but no physical books. It seems like a smart move in a struggling economy combined with a changing world of reading. I'll bet we'll see a lot more of this. What do you think? http://www.dailypilot.com/news/educa...,4121813.story L.J.

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03-28-2011, 08:16 PM	#2
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	i still think librarians are necessary, although perhaps in a different capacity. or maybe we'll see a new breed altogether, and they'll be called...e-brarians

03-28-2011, 08:23 PM	#3
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Librarians will always be necessary, they are the gatekeepers of knowledge. I'm not really understanding the article, it seems like they are closing one library and then turning their community center into another library sans books. No big deal, I wonder what will happen to all those books though??

03-28-2011, 09:26 PM	#4
MV64 Addict Posts: 271 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	It's a good idea in theory, but there simply aren't enough books available as e-books to truly do the same justice to knowledge that physical libraries do.

03-29-2011, 11:45 AM	#6
queentess Reading is sexy Posts: 1,303 Karma: 544517 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	I see this as an extension of libraries, something that should coexist with libraries. Might be a great way to keep the knowledge out there, but require less staffing and less budget. Shut down libraries you can no longer afford to fund, but turn them into something useful like this. I think it's great.

03-29-2011, 05:14 PM	#9
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	Yeah - lala land ?

03-29-2011, 10:18 PM	#10
Anthem Guru Posts: 704 Karma: 1622328 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle Oasis, OnePlus Nord	Cool idea. Keeping the two in tandem is probably the best option for the foreseeable future, but who knows where things will go.

03-30-2011, 01:16 AM	#11
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	Already books seem to be the lowest priority in libraries in my area (St. Louis). Computers, dvds, cds, and even video games seem to come first.

04-01-2011, 03:19 PM	#15
pagansoul Fanatic Posts: 509 Karma: 1098204 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Earth Device: iPhone5, iPad Gen3, Kobo, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7	I don't think the problem is not enough ebooks but not enough readers. They are still not very common and books can be used by almost everyone.