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You hear it all over on a regular basis: the print industry is on its last leg. Newspapers are shutting down all over the country. Print publishing is becoming obsolete. With everything going digital, there is less and less of a need for paper these days. But this begs the question, "What is happening to one of our most important public institutions--libraries?" Despite the digital age, libraries seem to be hanging on and are still cornerstones of many communities across the nation. Still, they have not been completely untouched by the changes in technology. Rather, libraries have done a lot of adapting in recent years. Here are just a few of the changes that you may have seen in your local library lately. Digitizing Historical Records It used to be that when you needed to research for any topic, you had to go to the library. But with Google, online scholarly journals, and Wikipedia, going to a library to do research is something that the younger generation will likely never experience. So what happens to all those old county newspapers and historical records that you used to have to access at the library? They're going digital too. With techniques like analog digitizing, any and all records that the library used to host can now be hosted online. That means that several members of the community can access the same records at the same time. Additionally, these records are usually made searchable with optical character recognition when they're being digitized, so it's quick and easy to find the information that you're looking for. Downloadable Books Pretty much every library in the country now allows card holders to check out downloadable eBooks and audio books online via their computer or mobile device. This has been a very important adaptation for public libraries to make, as many people now prefer to have their books on their smartphones and tablets. This makes it easy to always have a book on hand no matter where you are--a feature that many members of the "now" generation appreciate. In addition to portability, another great benefit of downloadable books is that you can now check out books from your library no matter where you are. Away on vacation and need a book to read? Just log onto the library's website on your smartphone and download an eBook or audio book instantly. Plus, most downloadable books are programmed to check themselves back in when they're due, so you never have to worry about paying fines for overdue books again. Self-Checkouts You see them at grocery stores all the time, and now, many libraries are doing it too. The fact is, people want to get in and out of places as quickly as they can, and that includes the library. That's why many public libraries have now added self-checkout lanes for patrons. This enables visitors to pick the books they want, then quickly scan the books and their library card to check them out without having to stand in line at the checkout desk. Public libraries still have a lot of value in communities today and, despite the transition to a more digital era, they are still going strong. Though they've had to make a lot of adaptations to the old ways of doing things--analog digitizing, downloadable books, self checkouts, etc.--it has been necessary in order to keep these community cornerstones running. And of course, few things can replace the feeling of curling up with a good book on the sofa. Hopefully, no matter what adaptations need to be made in the future, that won't be lost to future generations. Backstage Library Works Backstage Library Works provides high-quality, cost-effective, professional library services to help you serve your constituencies. Visit our page on http://www.bslw.com/ to see our page today!
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