Textbooks are going digital, the popularity of e-books is on the rise, and the internet continues to grow its wealth of online resources. Things aren’t looking so good for the printed book. If that’s the case, you’d think things shouldn’t be looking good for libraries either. If you thought that though, you’d be wrong.
As trends take us into a more digital age, libraries won’t disappear. They’ll evolve too. They aren’t just about books you know. Libraries are a hub of information and resources, and will continue to remain an integral part of college and university life.
I spent many late nights in the libraries on campus while in university, back in “the good old days” where the only resources available were printed materials. Thanks to modern day advances with the internet and cloud-based resources, people can access information from anywhere. Who needs libraries?! Well just because books are starting to take a back seat to digital media, the library is still very much relevant and needed.
In keeping with the times, libraries have started to carry e-books. Years ago many weren’t crazy about the idea but as their popularity has grown and the demand for them is there, more libraries have had to change their tune. The demand for more computers in libraries has gone up too, so more students can access the internet and other digital resources. Ensuring that these public access computers are always in working order and free of malware has become crucial to do more with the ever shrinking budgets that have been seen in education lately.
Libraries aren’t going anywhere. They’re just adapting to the changing world out there. Check out this infographic to see the future of libraries.