Howls of protest in some quarters from Wollongong Council's suggestion that it may consider closing two of it's regional libraries. The move would be a response to state government reductions in the grants council's receive to run their library services.
Perhaps this may be a good time to have a long, hard look at the whole question of libraries. Who uses them ? And are they necessary in this day and age ?
The most common stereotype is of school children filing into the library under the stern gaze of the librarian and silently looking through books to research homework questions.
That is as outdated as button up boots and buggy whips ! Today's kids download information from their computers using Google or Yahoo.
The greatest user of libraries seems to be the elderly - and those who are not computer literate. This is a shrinking pool which will ultimately reach the point where libraries are no longer viable.
Science and innovation are also steadily invading the library province. There is now a machine that holds the contents of hundreds of thousands of titles in it's memory - and can download and print a book in minutes - for a cost of just three dollars.
Given the number of people using libraries, it would probably be cheaper to install such machines and issue books free of charge rather than maintain library buildings, their huge stock of books and the personnel necessary to run them.
The public will resist library closures at this stage, but the winds of change are blowing and we would be wise to plan for the future - and that means keeping a close watch on customer numbers and the alternatives that become available !
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