“The only thing that you absolutely have to
know is the location of the library”, Albert Einstein.
It is predicted that the digital age will soon wipe all bookshelves
clean and will lead to end up the era of
libraries. With the advent of modern technology and our
hands addicted to cell phones, the future
of libraries seems to become obsolete.
But not everything is available on the internet and one cannot
rely completely on the facts extracted from online sources. All the information
present on the web is not authentic. While the
data found in libraries have been published under strict guidelines of accuracy
and are thereby allowed into libraries' collections. These standards are
not imposed on all websites. Also,
many academic research papers, journals, and
other important materials are not free of cost and their access is restricted
to expensive subscription accounts, which are mostly paid by college or
university libraries. Therefore, libraries provide easy access to these
materials. Thus, libraries still are of great significance for the progress and development of a
society. They are a storehouse of
immeasurable information. Marcus Tullius Cicero
once said, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything
you need.” Libraries are a blessing for those people who have a strong desire for reading but have no money to
satisfy their urge. They are an important
foundation of a healthy community. They provide access to a vast ocean of
knowledge. The library is the right place
for quenching the drive for knowledge. They help to educate people and offer
countless learning opportunities that refine
social, cultural and economic development by providing access to knowledge,
learning, and ideas. The same information
is obtained from an electronic device, diverts one’s attention from
the desired area of focus, resulting in the lack of ability to pay attention
and lack of interest. The world we live in is full of distractions
in every corner. Our smartphones,
laptops, etc. distract us through social media apps, games, text messaging, and
music. As a result, it is harder to resist these distractions and focus on
studying. Most
importantly, one cannot simply sit down, open a phone or laptop and
start studying unless the study environment is not conducive to getting work
done. Having a study environment is necessary, where you can concentrate, which is best provided inside a library. Several studies have indicated that reading or studying in
a noisy place often disrupts people’s concentration, affecting their
mental health by increasing general stress levels. Libraries provide a quiet
and peaceful surrounding for people where they can concentrate without getting
disturbed. The environment of a library where every individual is up to some
productive work encourages others to work
hard which a digital device cannot do. One of the most important functions of libraries is to
preserve our culture for future generations. Libraries are rich sources of historical and cultural collections, many of
which are not available anywhere else in the world. Moreover, modern technology
is not accessible to all people. A person
with average means cannot purchase expensive books. Hence, the library gives
access to a variety of books in a small amount of membership fee. Thus, more
libraries should be made available for people who cannot afford other means of
gathering information.
After analyzing the importance of libraries, we see a clear need in society to maintain an institution for
collecting and organizing information and offering general access to it. The government needs to establish more
libraries, having good infrastructure, high-quality content and modern technology in
order to attract people. As it is said that you don’t have to burn the books to
destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them. In the complex
contemporary world, libraries address various demands of society. Libraries play a very healthy role in
grooming the society. It provides a disciplined atmosphere where everything is
systematic. I conclude with the words of Carl Rowan, “The library is the temple of learning, and learning has
liberated more people than all the wars in history”.
Miss. Minahil Shawal Afridi
The author is a blogger & member Positive Pakistan
No comments:
Post a Comment