Nov 24th readings

Ironically, for this week’s lecture, my internet went out on me while I was trying to watch the videos. So I guess that makes the point very clear about accessibility of e-resources. I have the readings taken care of, and my summary written up, since I could do all that without internet. Now I’m in a coffee shop (being a consumer) posting my article.   

Happily my brother is in IT, and he is working on getting things up and running for me. My thoughts on the videos will be coming shortly…. (I hope)

The readings this week were a refreshing change. We have read some articles in the past about the supposed demise of libraries. These articles had a more upbeat outlook.

The Leckie and Hopkins article focused on 2 of Canada’s large central libraries. One thing that struck me was “it is extremely important as a place where individuals can sit in quiet study and reflection, often for hours, without the pressure to act as consumers that is so pervasive in other sorts of spaces.” (354) I have never thought of libraries in quite this way, but it absolutely makes sense. Sometimes I choose to read or study at a coffee shop or big box type book store because they are closer to home or have longer hours than the library. When I go there I always feel that I should buy something in order to “pay for” the time I spend in the store. Having a free public space without they pressure to buy something is important for so many people. Some people just try not to be “consumers” all they time. People who are using the library to find a job while they are unemployed are much more likely to use the resource if they don’t feel they have to spend any money to use it.  More people can feel like they belong at the library if there is no financial pressure while you use it.

The Freeman article focused on academic libraries. It talked about how to design, or re-design, libraries to make them effective spaces in today’s academic world, as well as making them adaptable to the uses of the future. I agree very much with what the author has to say. Libraries that can change with the times will be much more relevant than libraries that can’t keep up. It is hard to predict what library users will want in the future, but as long as libraries strive to provide what patrons need they will continue to be an important part of the academic life.