I can remember going to the library or bookstore as a kid and grabbing handfuls of books that I wanted to read, only to have my mom tell me to pick 2 or 3 and put the rest back. However, recently I was thinking about the large books stores closing and a library in my hometown closed, what was the future of other bookstores and libraries. Will they all close as more and more books are available online? Will children not get to experience the same libraries as we did? I think if that is the case that these children will be deprived from a great experience. At my library, that would have some authors come talk to kids, or read alouds etc. If they close libraries down, then kids will not get to experience all the things that we did as kids, in terms of reading and exploring books.
I found a piece written on the future of libraries and bookstores online. The author has a positive outlook on their future because he claims that they can be useful in a digital society. For example, they could turn them into community centers where people met to discuss books, listen o authors etc. Without a library, people will be forced to buy more online books instead of having them available to you thorough your community. I do not like this idea, because there are many families in the United States that don’t have much money to spend on books for their kids. Then their kids may not learn to read as well as a child from a wealthier family who owns many books. What do you think about bookstores and libraries closing?
Article: http://bigthink.com/ideas/41150
I had heard about all the recent closings of big bookstores, but I hadn't heard about any libraries closing. I'm shocked to hear this. Closing libraries will take away a childhood experience, that every child deserves. Everyone always wants to promote reading, but closing libraries and big bookstores is sending the wrong message. Although they're not trying to discourage reading, they're doing exactly that by making it less accessible online and more expensive. Libraries provide children with limitless books for free and experiences that can never be replaced by online libraries.
ReplyDeleteI do not like the idea of closing libraries either. I remember as a kid, my grandma would often take me to the library. I grabbed many books and we always spent a lot of time there. I have some great memories with my grandma at the library. It saddens me that libraries and bookstores are being closed down and are now being used for other purposes. Future children will not have the same experience as I did growing up or the memories of the library. I do not think online books deliver the same experience as real books. Online books do not allow the child to hold the book, smell the book. turn the pages as they please etc. This inline reading is going to create a different form of reading experience that may not be as beneficial as physically holding and reading a book.
ReplyDeleteIn my advertising class, some executives from Leo Burnett, a prominent advertising agency, came in and presented to us their project they did to help save the library. Their campaign was focused around that fact that if we are going to close a library, we might as well have a book burning party too. The ad campaign was extreme, and designed to grab people's attention. And it worked, when people saw this ad they were appalled and wrote posts about how cruel it is to talk about burning books and how important literature is. However I think what people take for granted is everything else that comes with a public center for reading, whether it be a book store or a library. There will no longer be a convenient place to have authors come speak or book readings. For a long time my parents would take me to the library and we would all find a book and sit down and read them together in comfortable silence.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of curling up with a print book is still something that I love to do. Over break I spent 4 hours just sitting in Barnes and Noble reading the 3rd Hunger Games book, and didn't realize how much time had passed. However in order to do this, I had to drive 20 minutes to the nearest bookstore because the 4 that were closer to my house have all closed. The idea that people will not get this same experience one day is bothersome to me, and I think that books are one part of our world that should remain untouched by technology.