What Libraries Can (Still) Do

I've been an avid consumer of books on my various Sony readers (I prefer them to kindles and other brands) for most of the last decade, but as I type I have nine physical books from the library within a few feet of me. They charge me fifty pence to fetch it for me if they have to fetch it from some other county library, and two and a half pounds if they have to fetch it from anywhere in the UK and Ireland. I have six or seven books on order at the moment from the library, and they've got two waiting for me (one of which came from the county store, fifty pence, and one of which came from a university somewhere, two pounds and fifty pence).

Unbeatable value for books I want to read but don't want to buy. Sometimes I even forgo piracy for the extra convenience of having it in physical format; novels that I read cover to cover sequentially are more convenient on the Sony, but textbooks, reference manuals and technical guides are so much more useful as paper. I completed a part-time degree last year and the library was an absolute viking at getting me maths textbooks and histories from all over.

Libraries can (still) lend me books at fantastic prices.

I thought I'd repeat this anecdote I previously posted on a discussion about libraries a while ago.

A few years ago I was researching the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. I wanted to find out about his famous housing complex called Unité d'habitation (Housing Unit) first built in Marseille in France. I started my research online looking for floorplans and commentary or critques. I found very little (there is a lot more available online today, but not when I was looking).

Consider that Le Corbusier is one of the most famous architects of the 20th century so this was a surprise. Eventually, I did find what I was looking for by going to the library and visiting an architecture exhibition. The point of all this is that we assume everything is mostly online and so it's our first port of call for any research or knowledge gathering. But there is a huge amount of information and knowledge found in books that have never made it online. If you never go to the library, you simply won't realise what you're missing.

Also, I'd love to see some innovation in book discovery. Even if/when a "paperless library" does exist, I can't imagine having to "browse" through a search-box like some kind of autonomous pigeon-holed drone.

> Libraries are screwed because we are invested in the codex, and the codex has become outmoded.

So, adapt! If this is how librarians think, then they really are screwed. But from my experience, most aren't as averse to change and doomy-and-gloomy as this guy. There are some very creative and open-minded folks out there in charge of librarians doing some creative things. Time will tell what will work.

I used to buy a few kindle books (or pirate the ones I couldn't find digital copies of), but I found out I read both more and faster with tangible books. And the three-week rental period (with the option to renew for up to six more weeks) encourages me to actually finish books in a timely manner.

My library also hosts cultural shows and has a small museum -- currently there are several pre-modern human skulls on display.

Plus, internet speeds hit 50Mbps+. Never need to go to a local coffeehouse again.

The only odd thing about my library is how ebook rentals (3-week digital access) can be out of stock. Don't know what kind of licensing deal they have with publishers, but this seems pointless.

On a different note, what I've noticed is how easy platforms like this help fight piracy:

Netflix + HBO --> fewer torrented movies/shows.

Steam/Humble Bundle/etc --> fewer illegal games.

Libraries --> fewer pirated books.

Youtube/Spotify/Pandora --> no longer need to maintain a library of illegally procured music.

With the right combination of price, selection, accessibility, and convenience, piracy to me has seemed less appealing over the years.

I am happy to see that I was mistaken in my belief that they would be talking about just books, given their domain name.

-- the remainder is my thoughts prior to reading the article. --

For me, it begins with asking, what is a library? If you ask any normal person they'll start talking about books. Books are just one medium for storing, preserving, and disseminating information. A library should be about more than books.

A library is a temple for worship of and enlightenment through information; for some of the very aspects that separate us from our ancient ancestors and even more so from the other creatures that live in the ecosystems we share.

Libraries can, and should, be repositories and distribution points for information, in all forms and medias. A library should be a well connected hub, not just for books, but also our networks. A library is where local content should be cached, and remote content mirrored. A library should work /with/ local not-for-profits of all types who share the goal of spreading education, enlightenment, and progress in the useful arts of science.