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Library Discussion

Here's what I posted this morning. Thanks to you all for this spirited debate! I look forward to reading it. -- mr. bouton

The argument that online texts will replace printed volumes is specious for a number of reasons, the most compelling case against it being the sensory immersion that books engender. The solitary act of reading a printed book or periodical is visual, tactile, and sometimes even olfactory. Like many of the high school juniors whom I teach English, I was moved by an article that we read from The Chronicle of Higher Education entitled \"The End of Solitude,\" in which the author argues that students are losing their capacity to concentrate in the collaborative environment that characterizes much online activity. Students need discipline to avoid the temptations of multi-tasking. Doubtless there are occasions for each activity -- solitary reading of print and forays into online texts -- but time in our school's computer lab suggests that social interactions there currently outweigh dedicated research. We teachers raised on books are adapting, but I for one still favor the notion of immersion in texts -- in whatever form inspires reflection. -- jbcares, manchester, nh

OK. So first off, you grew up with books, right? You learned to read with picture books, where you could see the illustrations and feel the pages as you learned. Why the hell would you choose to throw that away? Books aren't just something you cram into a computer or USB device and can learn everything from there. Although it may be good to have some of those books stored for digital use, a book is an experience in itself. It has a feel, a smell, illustrations, warmth. Wouldn't you rather read them that way than on a cold, glass screen? Computers are built to break. They won't last forever, and eventually they may crash, and all your books will be gone with that computer. It is way better to have a library full of actual, bona fide books. They will last a lot longer and the experience is worth the space taken-up.

-Hunter

In an age when technology is coming to dominate all aspects of life, books, far from becoming obsolete, are, in fact, more essential than ever to human society. Written texts are intellectually what wilderness is physically - a drastic contrast, and an escape, from the high-speed, digital, "modern" culture. There are few places, especially in urban areas, where an individual can completely isolate herself from technology - and perhaps the most important of these is within the world of a book. Libraries give all citizens, regardless of age, income, or social status, equal access to knowledge, and an equal opportunity to experience this escape from the digital world. Books provide a connection to the physical world - the physical act of turning pages, of following written text, forces a greater engagement in the action of reading than the mere scanning of a computer screen does. Written pieces also foster invisible connections between readers - the creases on the pages of a "well-loved" book serve as a reminder that, by reading, an individual unwittingly becomes a member of a much broader community, a community of intellectuals, that stretches across the world. The elimination of books would doom our culture to a single-minded focus on the digital, and would eliminate the kind of intellectual stimulation and deeper connections that only written texts can provide. -KFink

** Libraries, though may be old world, are essential to developing the learning skills and styles of students today. We need book because “ **the pages of a book shield us from the distractions that bombard us during most of our waking hours…the book focuses our attention, encouraging the kind of immersion in a story or an argument that promotes deep comprehension and deep learning” (Carr). We need book as “a space apart, a private place away from the inbox where we can go to quiet our minds and reflect” (Powers). Free from the distraction of Facebook and MySpace, the library is a great place not only to refine research skills, but to guarantee that good, thorough work is being done. Working with books is a life skill that will be necessary in the future. Books have more credibility than online sources, for anyone can put something on the internet, whereas authors have to get their work published. Plus books are just fun to read. People say we are in the digital age, but we cannot compromise the value that students gain from work in libraries, in order to keep up with the times. However, perhaps some kind of compromise can be met. Libraries are unique in that “[they] keep up with new technologies but… [they] also hold on to the things that work well” (Gray). ~Emmy

A am a fan of how easy it is to access information on the internet, but I am sometimes concerned about the validity of articles and such. I love how the internet allows one to access articles from the past, and how easy it is to search and instantly get results, however nothing can compare to what you can gain from books, especially for research and such. Honestly what can compare to having a book in your lap, turning the pages, not scrolling?

What is a library without books? It is sad to me that we are removing our books and replacing them with digital copies. Reading off of the Internet is not as effective as reading from a book. One can be easily distracted by the web, which is just a click away, and may experience physical pain (headaches, sore eyes, etc.). Also, I personally already spend enough time on the Internet. On the other hand, the Internet is more easily accessible and relatively up-to-date. But part of the triumph of research is hunting down the right book, turning the last page, and stacking your accomplishments in a pile. You cannot do that with digital books. Neither can you write on the book, make sticky notes, or otherwise connect with what you are reading. I don’t understand why we must choose between books and digital copies. Can’t we keep both? If we lose the simple wonder of reading a real book and replace it with staring at a screen like a drone, we have lost something precious and unimaginably important. Simple is best. -Chloe Nguyen