Public Libraries Are Still Relevant Today

Public Libraries Are Still Relevant

The Internet Age is not all about accessing information quicker than ever before; it is about being up to date with the rapid advances that continue to shape modern society. The world has evolved quickly from the time when people had to go to various institutions to get work done and share ideas, to today, when laptops and cellphones have become a necessity for the majority of society. With these advances, people begin to change what and how they learn and socialize. This can bring up a discussion on whether an item “in the past,” such as public libraries, can still be relevant to the changing times of today. Public libraries should remain open and adapt to future advances due to its allowances for society

A public library’s ability to help spread democratic ideas makes it so valuable to remain open in the future, while conforming to society’s demanding needs. The first public library was founded by Benjamin Franklin in the 1730s in order to encourage the spread of education and knowledge freely. Since then, people of all ethnic groups and religions have come together and shared opinions with each other at public libraries, because they are described as universal and accepting places for all to feel comfortable discussing controversial topics. While 300 years have gone by since the opening of these institutions, views on politics and the people that go there have changed as well, thus making the libraries always updated on current issues and topics in society. Public libraries are considered a “cornerstone” for liberal ideas, and must remain this title in America, in

According to PBS, “people less likely to use ebooks includes Hispanics, those without a highschool diploma, the unemployed, rural Americans, and those with household incomes of less that $30,000 (Source C). This is because most of the them cannot afford to buy unnecessary objects needed for survival, including items such as laptops and cellphones. Also, some people, like non english speakers and school dropouts, need additional help from actual humans for certain aspects in life, whereas the Internet and other electronics that may have the same information as a library cannot provide this additional help like librarians do in America. Public libraries are beneficial for these individuals because while these facilities are free for anyone in the community to use, they also provide internet resources and helpful human services needed for people to succeed in life at no additional cost. Public libraries assist the uneducated or the less fortunate when it comes to keeping up with the technological growth of modern society by hosting programs to learn how to use resources such as Microsoft Excel and Ebooks for Kindles (Source B). These allow opportunities for people to be educated about technology, which is essential to do so before they use technology on their own. If they