Greetings!
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The library has always been a place where knowledge and information are being sourced. Even with the advent of online libraries that have collections of online books, the offline or the known physical libraries are still playing their roles as a place where knowledge and information are being sourced.
I could remember when we were growing up back in the days, going to the library to source information and gather knowledge was always a thing of joy and this was because it showed our level of seriousness towards learning and seeking knowledge. Unlike today where online libraries have taken over from the traditional libraries.
Though, the online library of a thing has really helped each and everyone of us, who are fond of seeking knowledge and sourcing for information to have direct access to the collections needed for such purposes. It's really made our access to acquiring knowledge and getting the much needed information easy and even at our fingertips. Which without any doubt has really increased the rate at which knowledge is being acquired.
But like I used to say, there's always the good and bad side of a thing no matter how perfect it is. So, as perfect as the online library is, there's also disadvantages attached to the online library. One of those disadvantages is the distraction that comes with it. In most cases, when accessing the online library on the phones or PCs most especially at the comfort of our homes, the distractions that come with it are enormous. This is because with the various Apps on our phones or computer, we can be easily distracted other than doing the reading or sourcing for the necessary information.
Though, we have e-library even inside the conventional libraries, but with the rules of the library and with how the computer has been customized for the purpose meant for, it would be difficult to get distracted and for the reason that the library is meant to source for information, seek information and carry out researches, it would be difficult to get distracted as it purpose must be met, unlike when we try to do same at the comfort of our home which is not meant for the same purpose. The purpose here further solidifies the relevance of the traditional library and why it should even be preserved as a good heritage as it has always been.
Not only this, even with the good side of the online library which can be easily accessed by people, one thing that also serves as its negative side is that it's not generally accessible by people. What do I mean by this? Not everyone can afford accessing the online books unlike what is obtainable to the traditional library where one can just go there and do his research or source for the needed information with ease. But in the case of the online, though easy to access, not everybody can access, due to some reasons, which might include finances, internet skill or even network problems. All these factors can affect online libraries.
So, the factors above, if well considered, are enough for us to know that the traditional libraries should not be abolished or done away with due to how it would remain relevant when it comes to serving its purpose. So, instead of abolishing it or diverting what resources are meant for it, the best thing I think should be done is to upgrade it, restructure it and make it meet today's standard and the user's expectations.
This is my entry to the week158, Edition 02 of the weekly Featured contest in the Hive Learners community.
Thanks for reading.
Picture sourced.