Okay, I love this topic, like, it came at the perfect time. The time of my realization.
Not even up to a month ago, I had always had the idea that libraries had no use again in this modern age.
To date, I have never used a library; right from the start, any material I needed and didn’t have, I just went straight to my e-library.
Yesterday, I saw the contest title—Are libraries still relevant in the digital era?
My stance right now on the question—Are libraries still needed in this digital age?
If I had been asked maybe a few days back, my answer would have come with a smirk—
"I don't even see the necessity of traditional books anymore, so what would make you think I want anything to do with the library,"
Even now, most of my reading materials are on my phone and even novels that I got through easy access on the Internet.
But now, my answer is—Yes, they are not just relevant but are also essential.
Libraries have so many advantages to offer and characteristics that will make them always needed, from
The free and reliable information they offer. It is very easy for misinformation to spread online, but libraries hold the credible source of much information.
They make information available universally. Some people don't have digital access, and the library is their only free and reliable source of information, whether for homework, research, or schoolwork.
Not to mention how the libraries consume very small amounts of power.
They offer reading programs, book clubs, and free education and knowledge.
And then one thing libraries are well known for—quietness. They provide a certain peaceful space for studying and concentration, unlike when I use my phone and get distracted by notifications.
Actually, you just need to go to a school like my school and find a class. Good research on that class would show you not less than two people who would prove to you the forever need for libraries and the disadvantages of total dependency on digitalization—is it the unreliable phones whose batteries die and even get spoiled or me who read so much using my phone a few days ago leading to a spike in my screen time that my eyes and head started to ache.
I got my library card yesterday because I realized how much I needed the library, and I can't survive on my digital gadgets alone. You might have a way around these inefficiencies of e-libraries and the use of digital information sources. But do you think that people who aren't like you still don't need a library?
I mean…the balance between both is quite okay. We have all our digital sources, and we still need our libraries up and functioning.