With the rise of e-books, kindles, and tablets, it seems the old fashioned book is a dying form. As a result, the library has been long at risk, with just under 500 UK libraries having been closed in the past 10 years. This steep decline forces the keen reader to question the necessity of the library in this era when novels can be accessed within minutes from the comfort of your own home. With this in mind, here are 3 reasons to #LoveYourLibrary!
The Children’s Section
A lot of us grew up in the library, and the children’s section is where we met our best friends; the Hungry caterpillar and the Rainbow fish. The library is the perfect place for young children to learn the importance of books, and all those children books readings encourage little ones to love to library!
Easter holiday crafts in the #childrenslibrary #crafts #kidscrafts #loveyourlibrary #libra… http://t.co/dZzffHxRcR pic.twitter.com/ow33kOAjL8
— Dundee Libraries (@dundeelibraries) April 14, 2015
Like-Minded Bookworms
The library naturally attracts a variety of people searching for a number of things to learn. If you’re browsing the How to Learn Japanese section, and there’s someone already perusing in that aisle, why not take the opportunity to learn a few things from them! You can hardly find someone to discuss your favourite book with in a kindle, can you? With the decline of the library, its community has become stronger than ever, just see these American students petitioning to save their local library! https://www.change.org/p/park-city-school-district-board-save-our-library
You’ll be amazed at what you can learn! #SewingTips #quilting #LoveYourLibrary pic.twitter.com/rDEmGcw3Tf
— Sewing Parts Online (@sewingparts) April 28, 2015
Saving Pennies
In case you were unaware, library books are free to borrow. That’s it. Free. Probably the most obvious reason to keep the library going, is to drink from the fountain of knowledge free of charge. Despite this, so many of us take this public service for granted, which is why I urge you to go and pick up this year’s best seller from your library to give it a test read, before you pay a small fortune to own it!
If you haven’t taken out a library card, do it now. It’s easy, quick and will open up a WHOLE NEW WORLD @LoveBristolLib #loveyourlibrary
— savewotlib (@savewotlib) May 13, 2015
Is the library an unnecessary facility given the current hi-tech book industry? Or do we still have lessons to learn from this public service? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! You can check out Media editor Alex Veeneman’s offering on the print vs digital debtate here
