Some time back, I discussed my ambivalence about e-readers in a post saying that while I was all for technology and the convenience of storing numerous books on an electronic device, there were still different issues that needed to be worked out. I still believe that e-readers are a great technological advance, but at the same time I can't help feeling sentimental about the old-fashioned e-reader--the library.
Sure, libraries take up more space than e-readers--rooms, floors, buildings, even multiple buildings. Libraries, however, are more than just spaces. They're places with character and personality, places to inspire and encourage thought. Just think of some of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The Library of Congress. The Trinity College Library in Dublin. The Abbey Library in St. Gallen, Switzerland. These are places of art and beauty, not just of knowledge. These are places that have a sort of spirituality about them that speak not only to our minds but also to our souls.
E-readers can definitely speak to our minds with the knowledge they contain, but can e-readers in themselves touch our souls? We can buy covers that match our tastes and styles to put on our e-readers, but will they move our spirit in the same way that sitting in a room adorned with architectural splendor and volumes of texts can? Can e-readers create a hallowed atmosphere of study, producing soft whispers of voices and echoes of footsteps down a corridor of bookcases?
I may sound like an old fogey before my time, but I for one would be very sad if libraries were entirely replaced with e-readers. Libraries are more than just places from which to find information. They're a whole world, a gathering place for people in a community. At a time in which people are so plugged into devices that they may go for days without interacting with a person in the flesh, libraries are one of the few places left today where people can actually meet each other face to face.
Please don't let libraries ever go away.
Guarding the library with a bird's eye view from the perch.
I don't think that libraries will ever go away, even if more and more people choose to read on e-readers. Personally, I love both ways of reading... when I travel, I take with me my device, because I have so many eBooks downloaded from All you can books and all of them are just in one place - my online library.
ReplyDeleteBut when I'm home printed books are my favorite... nothing can replace them!