Why we *will* be here in 20 years

[Roberta Johnson]

Kurt said,

>I think the heart of the matter (Internet vs. Library) is to KNOW THE
>DIFFERENCE and know which is the appropriate resource for the particular
>query. Rather than debate which is the better information resource/tool, I
>think it is incumbent upon librarians to educate patrons about which tool
>is right for which question.
>
>Continually, I am educating folks about these differences and the critical
>thinking that must occur prior to ANY search, be it Library or Internet,
>and then, once clear, how to best proceed. I think Libraries and
>Librarians will "go away" to the extent that they fail to make these
>differences clear to their patrons.

Forgive my two cents, but I think another "heart of the matter" is to
recognize that the library is more than an information source to most
people:  it's a performing arts center, popular fiction collection
(generally more than half of circ), community meeting center, periodical
reading room, free ValueLine subscription, etc.  None of these services
will be replaced electronically any time soon, and we need to remind voters
and legislators of all the *other* aspects of the public library.  Not to
mention our free Internet access terminals.

Best,

Roberta

Roberta S. Johnson
rjohnson at mgk.nslsilus.org
Morton Grove Public Library       http://www.nslsilus.org/mgkhome/
"All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect
official library policy."