A library without books is a provocative concept for librarians or any book lover for that matter. Now it could mean that the books are simply stored off site and retrieved via a high tech system such as the one demonstrated in this video of the University of Chicago Library. More frequently, however, it refers to the increasing trend toward all or predominantly digital library collections. Examples range from the Cushing Academy Library to the University of Michigan or the University of Texas libraries. Whether it is the move to offsite storage, closed stacks or the move to ebooks, they all remove the opportunity for serendipitous discovery or random encounters with ideas and information that one often experiences when browsing the shelves. Not to mention the intoxicating feel of being surrounded by bound volumes that have been handled and read by students and scholars over the years. Will that experience be lost to the digital age? Maybe not since library software developers such as Follett are working to recreate that encounter through digital shelf browsing where the user can peruse a virtual shelf of books. There is no doubt that we are in transition, and while it is doubtful that we will see the elimination of bound books in my lifetime, we need to carefully consider the impact of this transition on reading, learning, and thinking, In fact, I encourage you to pick up a copy of "The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr.
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AuthorW.F. Leonard is a professional library media specialist who carefully walks the tight rope between the physical and electronic library collection. ArchivesCategories |