For my article, I chose “Digital Underclass: What Happens When Libraries Die?” because not only was it interesting to think about, but it referenced my topic for our bibliography project. Since books and other print materials are being published electronically more than in print, it will make it harder for those who don’t have regular access to computer to obtain these resources. It bring the issue of the digital divide into light because those who don’t have access cannot simply go without because they need the books for school and other researching purposes. According to the article, the disappearance of libraries will be gradual due to the declining use of them because of digital publications. This makes sense to me because it’s easier for people to use their computer to obtain a book rather than to get in their car, go to the library, find the book, bring it home, and begin reading it because with the computer the result is instant. This is the essential part of the declining use of libraries because in a generation of people who are used to immediate gratification, no one wants to wait for anything anymore, including waiting for a book to be checked back into the library. The libraries’ decline has already begun, with libraries running at reduced hours and parts of public libraries being removed to make room for more computers.
I thought the article raised some good points about the decline of libraries. However, I wasn’t all that surprised to read that the decline had already begun because like I said earlier, we live in a world of instant gratification, where everyone wants everything immediately and we have the technology to make that possible. Therefore, I really enjoyed reading the article and I liked that it included a little bit about my bibliography topic.
Perlow, Jason. "Digital Underclass: When the Libraries Die?" ZDnet. 10 Nov. 10. Web. 11 Nov. 10. <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/digital-underclass-what-happens-when-the-libraries-die/14554>.
No comments:
Post a Comment