Libraries: A Little Bit of Fear, A Little Bit of Hope

[dewline]

Something james_nicoll pointed out to me today in one of his latest: apparently, there's a small plague of cutbacks hitting the world's libraries again. Part of the outbreak hit John Scalzi's backyard, and he's unhappy about it. You can read about that over here.

I don't understand the idea of libraries being obsolete, because the evidence of my own eyes from visits to assorted branches in recent weeks tells me the idea's full of crap, if you'll pardon my Anglo-Saxon. Not even good crap, either.

Now maybe I just live in and visit charmed neighbourhoods. I dunno. But I tend to think from the arguments in progress that I'm not wrong to think there's still a use for bricks and mortar and paper and glue and cardstock.

Ian Gould, Luke Parsons, Mark Richards and I, we're betting at least part of our future on my being right on this one, I think.

How about you?

Comments

[duncanmac.livejournal.com]

I certainly prefer "dead-tree" format for my reading material, and so do most of the friends I have.

For me, the library was a refuge when I was a kid, and I tend to view them that way still.