Are public libraries on their way out?

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]arlier this month, I attended the Battle of Ideas at the Barbican in London. A very interesting debate was staged about whether or not public libraries are essentially doomed in this day and age. Public libraries have a blackened image in the digital era, but is this avoidable or will libraries become obsolete to future generations?  Last year, Terry Deary, the author of the popular Horrible Histories series, stated that public libraries are no longer relevant. Is this true?

Fifty years ago, public libraries were a vibrant part of the community.

They promoted intellectual growth, irrespective of whom you were or where you were from.  If you wanted to seek out any knowledge, the library would be your first port of call. Young and old alike would peruse it from day to day. This is no longer the case – we have computers and the internet and can simply Google away many of our questions or thoughts, rather than having to enter a library and seek out answers from the shelves.

There is essentially nothing wrong with this; Google is fast, efficient and gives us an answer in a split second, whilst searching out information in a library simply isn’t as fast. You can also buy ebooks and read them a minute later, and we need to be careful not to shun the digital age and what it is offering us, because digitisation is inevitable and good. There will soon be a time where everyone living is familiar with technology; this fact needs to be embraced, not attacked with nostalgia for the ‘old days.’

Public libraries are undeniably on a decline.  According to The Guardian, 200 libraries were closed in 2012 alone and visits to the libraries have dropped 6.7% compared with five years ago, a statistic I would frankly expect to be higher.  Yes, people do still go to the library, but my local library is no longer very appealing.  It may be the toddler storytime and day care groups which always seem to occupy it, or the fact that it’s deserted, besides from the librarians who look bored to death.

I believe there needs to be positive unity between ebooks and the library, but it needs to be recognised that there is a big difference between a digital book on a screen and a physical book.

Libraries need rejuvenation, but a clear issue here is money. A lack of funding is what has led to so many library closures, so how are we going to get money into the library system to help them from declining further? A problem is that not enough value is put on the library as a space where you are surrounded by books you can actually touch. A library should primarily serve as a physical learning environment.  The government and public need to realise that a place of learning in society, other than schools, is needed and that the digital age and internet does not mean libraries are pointless.  If this idea is respected then more importance will be put on libraries; they are invaluable and there comes a point where you need to open a book because the internet won’t have what you’re looking for.

It now lies with us to get this issue in the public eye and save the public libraries from obsolescence.