Mark Y. Herring wrote 10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library 5 years ago. In an effort to save our culture, strike a blow for reading, and, above all, correct the well-intentioned but horribly misguided notions about what is fast becoming Intertopia among many nonlibrarian bean counters, he wrote 10 reasons why the Internet is no substitute for a library.
Not Everything Is on the Internet
The Needle (Your Search) in the Haystack (the Web)
Quality Control Doesn’t Exist
What You Don’t Know Really Does Hurt You
States Can Now Buy One Book and Distribute to Every Library on the Web – NOT!
Hey, Bud, You Forgot about E-book Readers
Aren’t There Library-less Universities Now?
But a Virtual State Library Would Do It, Right?
The Internet: A Mile Wide, an Inch (or Less) Deep
The Internet Is Ubiquitous but Books Are Portable
Are these still valid reasons? Will they be in 5-10 years?
Lets Start the Debate
Blake wondered if the “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library” (published in 2001) are still valid, and will they be in 5-10 years. Lets look at each point.
1. Not Everything Is on the Internet
Hard to argue against this point. But as the online content is increasing daily, we ALL will be revisiting this point well into the future. We also have to consider the “physical” versus “virtual” library as more libraries, publishers, and other information providers push online access to materials. Also, people are starting to settle for the top “hits” rather than everything that a librarian may provide.
2. The Needle (Your Search) in the Haystack (the Web)
Again hard to argue against this point currently. Libraries are not the only answer to improved searching of web content though, so we should not just settle on this point. If you are using only this point to justify a library’s existence, I worry about the future. Think about all the people that never go to the library but still find answers on the web. Alternatives do surround us.
3. Quality Control Doesn’t Exist
This is an advantage libraries have of the web. But social applications (wikis, comments, tagging, ranking, etc.) are gaining ground. People are accepting that the web material have flaws, and are looking to other web searchers to rank the results.
4. What You Don’t Know Really Does Hurt You
His point about print and online journals may only be relevant in the perfect world. As space, money, and user needs increase online journals are being pushed more and more. Only a small percentage of users might be concerned with the difference between the print versus online version, and technologies such as PDF images have weaken this point even further. Speed and convenience are major issues for users.
5. States Can Now Buy One Book and Distribute to Every Library on the Web – NOT!
6. Hey, Bud, You Forgot about E-book Readers
Electronic books have not caught on with the full force I think we will see in the future. Lets revisit this in a few years. I would not ignore this potential trend though. Large public libraries are already starting to push online audio books for downloads. Universities are starting to offer electornic textbook alternatives.
7. Aren’t There Library-less Universities Now?
This is less and less like Star Trek, and closer to reality each day. If ebook technology is developed and copyright laws modified, there is potential here.
8. But a Virtual State Library Would Do It, Right?
I don’t think we could use just cost as a reason that this point will not occur. As Google or other organizations get into digitizing, you never know what agreements can be worked.
9. The Internet: A Mile Wide, an Inch (or Less) Deep
The value of archiving older online materials has become more of an issue, and organizations are addressing this head on.
10. The Internet Is Ubiquitous but Books Are Portable
I know many people who read books but never get them from a library. This might be another weak point that other competitors have challenged libraries.
I think this list is still relevant, if and only if libraries realize that technology, user needs, user interests, and competition have greatly undermined all of these points. If libraries are not adjusting now and are waiting for one of these points to become reality, they have already lost their patrons to the competition.
I do wonder if this list has much power though with those that do not work in libraries. Just look at some of the alternatives I proposed that our patrons use already.
Re:Lets Start the Debate
Blake wondered [lisnews.org] if the “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library” (published in 2001) are still valid, and will they be in 5-10 years. Lets look at each point.
1. Not Everything Is on the Internet
Hard to argue against this point. But as the online content is increasing daily, we ALL will be revisiting this point well into the future. We also have to consider the “physical” versus “virtual” library as more libraries, publishers, and other information providers push online access to materials. Also, people are starting to settle for the top “hits” rather than everything that a librarian may provide.
2. The Needle (Your Search) in the Haystack (the Web)
Again hard to argue against this point currently. Libraries are not the only answer to improved searching of web content though, so we should not just settle on this point. If you are using only this point to justify a library’s existence, I worry about the future. Think about all the people that never go to the library but still find answers on the web. Alternatives do surround us.
3. Quality Control Doesn’t Exist
This is an advantage libraries have of the web. But social applications (wikis, comments, tagging, ranking, etc.) are gaining ground. People are accepting that the web material have flaws, and are looking to other web searchers to rank the results.
4. What You Don’t Know Really Does Hurt You
His point about print and online journals may only be relevant in the perfect world. As space, money, and user needs increase online journals are being pushed more and more. Only a small percentage of users might be concerned with the difference between the print versus online version, and technologies such as PDF images have weaken this point even further. Speed and convenience are major issues for users.
6. Hey, Bud, You Forgot about E-book Readers
Electronic books have not caught on with the full force I think we will see in the future. Lets revisit this in a few years. I would not ignore this potential trend though. Large public libraries are already starting to push online audio books for downloads. Universities are starting to offer electornic textbook alternatives.
7. Aren’t There Library-less Universities Now?
This is less and less like Star Trek, and closer to reality each day. If ebook technology is developed and copyright laws modified, there is potential here.
8. But a Virtual State Library Would Do It, Right?
I don’t think we could use just cost as a reason that this point will not occur. As Google or other organizations get into digitizing, you never know what agreements can be worked.
9. The Internet: A Mile Wide, an Inch (or Less) Deep
The value of archiving older online materials has become more of an issue, and organizations are addressing this head on.
10. The Internet Is Ubiquitous but Books Are Portable
I know many people who read books but never get them from a library. This might be another weak point that other competitors have challenged libraries.
I think this list is still relevant, if and only if libraries realize that technology, user needs, user interests, and competition have greatly undermined all of these points. If libraries are not adjusting now and are waiting for one of these points to become reality, they have already lost their patrons to the competition.
I do wonder if this list has much power though with those that do not work in libraries. Just look at some of the alternatives I proposed that our patrons use already.