The Bookless Library by David A. Bell. (New Republic, July 12, 2012)
Although Bell is quick to dismiss the notion of libraries without physical books, the confusion of libraries with physical books is one that has hurt the cause of libraries.
He remarks:
Libraries are also sources of crucial expertise. Librarians do not just maintain physical collections of books. Among other things, they guide readers, maintain catalogues, develop access portals for electronic sources, organize special programs and exhibitions, oversee special collections, and make acquisition decisions. The fact that more and more acquisition decisions now involve a question of which databases to subscribe to, rather than which physical books and journals to buy, does not make these functions any less important. To the contrary: the digital landscape is wild and wooly, and it is crucial to have well-trained, well-informed librarians on hand to figure out which content to spend scarce subscription dollars on, and how to guide readers through it.
Digital resources and collections have already out-stripped the physical collections possible in even major research libraries. Digitization efforts promise that more and more of the written record will become readily accessible to more readers.
Accessible in the sense that they can “read” the text, whether it is understood or not, is a different issue.
Without librarians to act as intelligent filters, digital content will be a sea of information that washes over all but the most intrepid scholars.
Increases in digital resources require increases in the number of librarians performing the creative aspects of their professions.
Acting as teachers, guides and fellow travellers in the exploration cultural riches past and present, and preparing for those yet to come.