Much Loved, Now Much Used From Princeton in New Jersey to West Hartford in Connecticut, libraries are starting to look more like Internet cafes and bookstores and less like quiet rows of book-lined shelves.
Librarians say the changes reflect the impact of technology and communities’ increased need for places to meet. The ease of using Google or ordering a book on the Web has pushed libraries to re-evaluate their purpose and listen to users, who say they want a place not just to read and look up information, but also a place to relax, socialize and even telecommute.
Confused author
From the article:
“They will find books grouped by subject, as they are in bookstores, instead of according to the Dewey Decimal System.”
Isn’t the DDS a subject index? What the author doesn’t understand is that bookstore groupings are designed to sell more books and not find specific information. You browse through a bookstore and the owners want you see other books and think “I’ll buy that book while I’m here also.” For patrons who are looking for specific information this method of shelving doesn’t work. I love that I can walk into any public library (that uses Dewey) and know the layout. Imagine that you are a library manager and every time you hire a new librarian you have to teach that librarian where the books are in the library.
Andy