The Way of the Word

The printed word as we know is dead! Try telling that to Jorge Luis Borges who himself was the director of the National Library in Buenos Aires. "...I suspect that the human species-the only species--teeters at the verge of extinction, yet that the Library-enlightened, solitary, infinite, perfectly unmoving, armed with precious volumes, pointless, incorruptible, and secret-will endure." That is taken from a slim volume entitled The Library of Babel.

Much is being written about libraries and the volumes contained inside; they are becoming obsolete, on their way out. The Googlization of the printed word is causing today's reader to opt for an electronic hand-held device rather than a traditional volume with a dust jacket and pages to turn. According to William Skidelskey in the New Statesman, such hand held devices (Kindle), are slowly replacing how people get their information. I agree that there are numerous formats in which a variety of persons prefer to receive news and entertainment.

I myself love to read daily news online, blogs, and how I receive probably 60 percent of my information on a daily basis. I also like reading print magazines and of course, books. The death of the printed word? Just recently published (in print) in American Libraries magazine, statistics for library cards issued are up 5 percent since 2006. In other words, 68 percent of Americans have a library card. 76 percent of Americans visited their local library in the last year. The popularity of libraries is indeed not dwindling. Salai Taylor, Lead Librarian at Southern Peaks Library in Alamosa says that an average daily gate count of patron visits is 250 in the winter and 300 in the summer.

Is it any wonder libraries are popular and seen by 92 percent of Americans as "an important education resource." Not only do libraries provide access to materials and resources, but they also have programs for every age. The Maricopa Community College in Phoenix, Arizona has a videogame night in the library. Other services provided by public, academic, and special libraries range from computer classes, story hour for children, puppet shows, ESL classes, bike checkout, book clubs, homework help, coffee bars, and of course books.

The printed word and libraries are evolving as are the tastes and preferences of the library user/book lover. There are those who enjoy sitting at a table in a library surrounded by volumes of dusty volumes and others that prefer the bustling coffee shop while surfing the Internet. So grab your laptop, pack that book and enjoy the world of information.
-Paul