Back in the day, libraries were a big deal. If you wanted to read books, do research, or even just find a quiet place to study, the library was the go-to spot. But now, with everything available online, do we still need libraries? Or should the money used to run them be spent on something else?
Many people hardly read physical books anymore. Instead of going to a library, you can just pick up your phone and search for anything you want. E-books, audiobooks, online courses everything is just a click away. So, what’s the point of libraries now? Let’s look at both sides of the argument.
Not Everyone Has access to the Internet or phones, I remember when I was still in school and I was robbed, my phone and laptop were stolen and I was preparing for my examination, it was two days to exam when this incident happened, the only thing that saved me was Library because no one is ready to lend me their notes, I had to visit the library and read because the soft copy of my notes was on my phone, this helped me a lot. It’s easy to assume that everyone has a smartphone or laptop at home. But in reality, many people don’t.
Libraries Help People to Focus because Phones and laptops come with distractions, social media, notifications, and ads everywhere. If you’ve ever tried to study at home but ended up scrolling through your phone instead, you get it. Libraries provide a quiet space where people can concentrate.
Physical Books Are Still Sure, though e-books are convenient, but some people just love the feeling of holding a real book. Physical books don’t need charging, don’t strain your eyes, and for many, they are easier to understand than reading on a screen, one of my friends can never read online, she prefers physical books and always outlines every key point in it, also my mother loves to read her Bible physically not online she can never read the Bible through her phone.
Everything Is now Online, If you need information, you can Google it. If you want books, there are e-books and audiobooks. Universities and research centers put many materials online for free. So, why go to a library when everything is at your fingertips?
Instead of completely getting rid of libraries, maybe they just need to evolve. Many libraries are already changing by offering digital lending services, and online learning programs.
In my opinion, the real question isn’t whether we need libraries, but how we can make them better. Instead of seeing them as outdated, we should look at ways to modernize them while still keeping the parts that make them special.
Libraries may not be as important as they were before, but they still have their place, especially for people who don’t have access to digital resources. The world is changing, and libraries need to change too, but that doesn’t mean they should disappear.
This is my response to this episode of the hive-learners community prompt of #hl-w158e02 which the topic is tagged WHO NEEDS LIBRARIES?
