Thing #15 Libraries of the Future

As I watched the video of the students and how at ease they all seem utilizing technology and the enormous amount of time young people spend "communicating" with each other, I was saddened. I guess I am just too old, but I still think as humans, we need some face-to-face interaction.

While I understand the need to move our libraries into the future, I would hesitate to completely stray from the comfort of "the stacks". Young people of today have an advantage of being able to retrieve information in nanoseconds, and ship information to a number of parties at the same time. While this may save time and money (no gas for the car necessary), are they missing out on the "social" aspect of meeting friends at the library and sitting with heads together pouring over books, journals and magazines and then having a face-to-face discussion about their topic. Some of my fondest memories are those of sitting with friends at Carroll High School library, or if we were really in need, Parkdale Public Library in Corpus Christi. We worked diligently to complete our assigned tasks, including rifling through the old card catalogs, just so we could have time to "hang".

In Wendy Schultz's article, she describes the library of the future and refers to the ultimate one as Library 4.0. She assures us that it will not replace previous generations of libraries, but simply absorb the components of the earlier versions while moving through a continuum. We begin with a library as a commodity, then a product, a service and ultimately an experience. Perhaps I am just too much of a dinosaur, but I like going to the library and perusing the shelves. I like holding a book in my hands and inhaling the aroma of the worn dog-eared page - a sure sign that this is a good one! I want an experience.

Yes, I realize the benefits of technology and I utilize both hardware and software at hand, in and out of the classroom. It is a time-saver, but it is not quite the same as a face-to-face dialogue. I love seeing the light in the eyes of a student when they are telling me about the latest favorite new book. For me, I want don't want a library services to meet me in my space every time I need information, I also want to meet in a library. After all, a web-page smiley face is just not the same as the sweet greeting we always receive from our school librarian. In other words, I want it all.