The Rise and Fall of the Modern Library
Have you been to your library lately? If so, why? If not, why not?
The problem is most people, Seth Godin and many librarians included, don't understand what a library is. Before we can understand what they are we have to understand what they are not. Even though libraries have collections of books they are not book museums, or tombs for the written word. Would libraries still be libraries if they didn't have any books?
Some librarians understand that they would because libraries are (or need to be) more than books. Libraries live as places to support their local communities information needs. By tending to those needs they act as curators for local culture, offering a gathering place for community groups, while helping patrons sift through bad information to find the good information they need.
A local example
The unemployment rate in Georgetown County is horribly high, so the Georgetown County Library offers employment classes, where we teach patrons how to search for work. We are also exploring other ways to address the work issues that plague the region, possibly offering classes on how locals can create their own jobs using the internet or other local resources.
What information needs could a library help you address? Do you need to hone your job searching skills, or perhaps the ins-and-outs of search boggle you?