Libraries in the Digital Age

When I first told someone outside my family circle that I was changing careers from what would naturally be considered the lucrative business of real estate to becoming a librarian, you would have thought I told him I was taking up pole dancing by the look of shock on his face. Another common response was, do they even have librarians anymore?  I mean what do we need librarians for when we’ve got Google and Wikipedia?  Good question.

          The advent of the internet hasn’t changed the essential job of a librarian which when stripped down to its core is still the dissemination of information. In The Human Network, an article excerpted from his book BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google, John Palfrey conveys this exact sentiment, “the pre-existing skills and experiences that are still important include the ability to help patrons find the information they need, to anticipate other resources they might like or benefit from, and to take the long view when it comes to preservation, among many other skills” (24).

One could argue that the need is even greater now than ever before. Libraries and librarians in the digital age are evolving, although perhaps too slowly. The way information is accessed and distributed has changed and continues to change rapidly, libraries as unbiased entities should be the premier purveyors of that information.   The main concept that I took from Palfrey’s article is that librarians should not only be masters of the new tools that make finding, creating, and storing info simpler and more effective but also the creators (24).       

          Entrepreneur, Andrew Roskill did a TEDx Talk in 2014 in which he starts out by highlighting the importance of digital literacy as a skill in our socio-economic society: “the digital Haves and the digital Have-nots.”  He then very humorously illustrates the different ways libraries fall short and how he believes they can improve and compete with entities such as Google and Amazon.  It’s an important concept for us to grasp. 

          Libraries are not outdated, outmoded, or obsolete; they are a vital part of our information cycle and should remain at the top.

 Works Cited

Palfrey, John. "THE HUMAN NETWORK. (Cover Story)." Library Journal, vol. 140, no. 15, 15 Sept. 2015, pp. 22-25. EBSCOhost, login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=109430443&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Roskill, Andrew. “Get a Read on This--Libraries Bridging the Digital Divide.” YouTube, 14 May 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=J198u5HK0pY.