A library is an organized collection of both physical and digital information. It is made accessible to a community for reference or borrowing free. The first libraries consisted of clay tablets in cuneiform script discovered in temple rooms at Sumer dating back to 2600 before the birth of Jesus Christ (B.C.). Below are some of the advantages your local library can offer you.
“The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated
more people than all the wars in history.” (Carl T. Rowan)
1.
Check out a variety of audiovisual
(A/V) materials: Libraries loan
movies, music, audio books and more. With your library card number, you may be
able to access archived articles from newspapers and magazines like The New York Times, National Geographic, and Sports illustrated. Through
sites such as NetLibrary, libraries can
provide 24/7 online access to encyclopedias or dictionaries. Even digital audio
books can be loaned virtually, through OverDrive
Audio Books.
2.
Find Tickets to Museums,
Concerts, and Events: You might not
be able to subsidize all of your weekend outings with a library card, but you
may be able to find tickets (or memberships) to theater performances, zoos
(aquariums), botanical gardens , museums
or sporting or civic events for free (or at a discount). The list is endless.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn the more places you'll go.” (Dr. Seuss)
3.
Print Off Legal Forms: Libraries are great places to find the forms you need to do taxes,
start a business, draft a will, or anything else you might need. Libraries may
not be a complete substitute for legal advice; you should probably talk to a
human. For getting the paperwork you need, you can often get it for free.
4.
Fill Up on eBooks: If you have an eReader, chances are the library’s website
has a huge selection of eBooks. When your lending period is up, the eBook is
automatically checked back in, and removed from your device. You won’t need to
worry about late fees.
5. Reference Librarians Are Standing By: When
searching for answers, don't give up hope if Google lets
you down. Instead, turn to your friendly reference librarian. By submitting a
reference question online via your library's website (or on the phone), you can
take advantage of a librarian's years of research experience and specialized knowledge.
You may find the answer, you’ve been looking for.
Robert’s Note: The Columbus Metropolitan Library has a wonderful
information hotline and website that I have accessed many times (614-645-2275, www.columbuslibrary.org).
6. They May Not Have It, But They Can Get It: Chances
are that your library doesn't stock every book you might ever want to read. Library
patrons can access the collections of other libraries through interlibrary
loan. Items sometimes take weeks to arrive, but you'll have access to
out-of-print or obscure items.
Your
library may be open to purchasing suggestions. By
donating money, time, or used books, you can help to ensure that the library
will continue to be there when you need it.
“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no
future.” (Ray Bradbury)
When comparing the advantages of the Internet over any library system, keep these four points in mind:
1. Not
everything is on the Internet: There is a misconception
that everything you need to know can be found online. This simply isn’t true.
There is much published material that can’t be found using a standard search
engine.
Most
sources of information over ten to fifteen years old have not been digitized
yet to the Internet. If you’re looking for information on older events, you’ll
have better luck checking out the library’s resources.
2. Not
everything on the Internet is free: You may discover subscription services charge if you want
to get into their website or download their materials. Before you do this,
check out a library’s website for these services they already have (for free).
“A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities
of life.” (Henry Ward
Beecher)
3. There
is no quality control on the Internet: The internet
is full of lies, misconceptions, and half-truths. Some sites will deliberately
mislead you in order to get your money, change your opinion on a controversial
issue, or just to pull your leg. Library resources have been through editors
and fact-checkers that make sure you’re getting reliable information.
Some
web pages make it difficult to figure out who’s telling you what, and where
they got their information. Library resources will tell you where the
information came from. Library resources (unlike the web) are organized by
topic and broken down into different types of information. These resources have
been organized by real people, and not by search engine robots.
4. The
Internet may not be very comprehensive: So you’ve
found forty websites on a particular topic, but they all give you the same four
or five facts without very much detail. For a varied and more in-depth
analysis, try some of the library’s books (or article databases).
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of
teachers.” (Charles William
Eliot)
“Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find
the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a
library, the doors to learning are always open.” (Laura Bush) [i]
[i] Sources used for this post
include:
·
“The Library
and the Internet – Ten Good Reasons to Use the Library” by Mark Herring
· “Check Your Local Library for Free Museum, Concert, and Event Tickets” by Jason Fitzpatrick
· Wikipedia “Library”
· “What does B.C. mean?” (http://quatr.us/bc.htm)
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