Libraries have many important aspects. They are the heart of the community. In Illinois Chef Amy teamed up with her local library to provide discounted lunches to those who normally could not afford lunch. Also, there is a website called Transform U. It helps those who are jobless find jobs and apply for them. Not only are they the heart of the community but they are a center of learning. Kids go to after school programs, and they can go to their local library to do homework. Libraries are starting a, rent a person program where you can rent an expert like I stated in my last post. This is phenomenal for learning about multiple different fields or just for fun. Many libraries now give access to free wireless Internet. People can come in to use it to look up information or to download e-books, as well as audio books.
One aspect that the libraries are good at is helping the homeless. They can come in where it is warm, look for a job online, and look at the materials available to the public. This can be a safe place not only for the homeless, but children from broken homes. It is a safety net.
Many seniors use the library that are retired. It can be a great place to have programs and meet up with friends. My local library does programs for senior citizens to keep them up on technology. We have Facebook, Microsoft programs, and tablet device programs to help them learn and it gives them a chance to ask questions as they learn. Device knowledge is becoming very popular among seniors, as well as other age groups(but they tend to learn on their own). The digital world is always changing so people have to learn new devices constantly so people go see their local librarians who have the knowledge and skills to teach people how to use what they have purchased.
Libraries preserve the history of the community it is located in. People go to their local library to find out about the community in earlier years. The local library always has a section dedicated to major events, people, buildings, and random facts about the area. My local library has a genealogy section with access to obituaries, land owners, and old yearbooks, as well as family histories. Libraries take pride in educating the community on its history, and keep a collection of local work. They are miniature museums.
Libraries are important for non-English speaking members of the community. They offer books in multiple languages, citizenship information, books on learning to speak English, and some have classes to learn English. This is also a great place for immigrants to meet new people and make friends in a strange and unfamiliar place.
People with disabilities are always accommodated for in their local library. The hearing, seeing, or any other type of disability can be helped in some way. More and more has become available over the years for those who have disabilities. Libraries have playaways(books that come with headphones and read out loud to a patron), audio books, and many other forms of reading and digital material.
The digital world is slowly taking over society. This is true with libraries. Cushings Academy opted to get rid of all 20,000 volumes of books and become completely digital. They now have books accessible through databases, and each student can use their laptops or a tablet device to read their books. They said the library was just not being used enough and more students wanted electronics to be the focus. Many people think digitizing is the right way to go, and many believe it is not. It depends all on the person you are talking too. More and more libraries are making their libraries accessible through the web, and this includes downloading e-books, and stream music and movies. Libraries are evolving, but not to the extent Cushings Academy did.
Yes, the digital world is becoming more prominent in the world, but it does not have to be the only material available to the public. I have a Kindle and I love my Kindle, but I also love to read a physical book. When I am getting textbooks for school I prefer the physical copy. Something about the feel and being able to take notes in it clicks my academic brain into action. People learn in different ways, and that can be factored into whether or not and e-book would be better than a paperback book. The digital future has a place in libraries, I think personally Cushings Academy took it too far. Kids need to know how to locate books. When these kids go off to college they will not know what to do at their university library filled with books. There needs to be different types of materials(audio books, e-books, physical copies) to appease a community. Not everyone can afford a reading device so it is cheaper to get the physical copy from a local library. I believe the digital future will have a tremendous impact on future libraries. The digital world is always changing like a library. There needs to be a mixture of materials to have the most success in libraries. If people think the internet is going to run libraries out of business, why have bookstores stayed strong? I think it all depends on the person, and that is why a variety is better than one type of material.
You're ideas are great! Are there any other programs or organizations a library can become a part of to create an even safer environment? You touch on non-American Citizens. Would you say that it is important for librarians to know other languages to accommodate these patrons? How might other patrons wishing to learn a language be helped? Would the 'Rent a Person' work well in this kind of situation?
ReplyDeleteMy library is apart of the Safe Zone program. It is a program where we put a sign on our entrance doors and allow people to know that you can come in and not be subjected to prejudices. This is particularly good for the homeless who often are not welcome, as well as kids or abused spouses who do not live in safe homes. I also think it is beneficial to have librarians who are bilingual. It can help immigrants or people who are here on student or work visas to get the help they need without feeling like an inconvenience to the library staff. The non-American citizens will feel more welcomed and they will come more often if there are people who can assist them in their first language. I think one great thing my library offers, but is not used often is Mango. It is online learning for languages. I think it would also be cool to reach out to community members that have moved from another country and can speak other languages on top of knowing English to see if they would be interested in volunteering or working for a library to teach languages. It could not only help people learn another language, but allow those who know another language to feel important in the community and like they are helping others learn what comes naturally to them. Also, people from other countries who have come and are willing to teach another language know how it feels to learn a second language so they would be more understanding, than say a professor or teacher who learned it through a school based program. A 'Rent a Person' would work well, but it might help to have more than one person so it is not as awkward when learning the language. A 'Rent a Person' seems more of a tutor type thing in this situation to me, but it could work as a teaching tool.
ReplyDelete