Topic > Technology and the End of Libraries - 1811

As digital natives age and technology improves, one wonders what the fate of libraries will be. Long gone are the days of card catalogues, replaced by computers. You can no longer browse the shelves for books on whatever topic sparked the most interest, because the Dewey decimal system is no longer taught. Gone are the days of shelves full of books as far as the eye can see, carted away to make room for endless banks of computers, films and CDs. The clicking of keys and chatter of private rooms used for multiple purposes are gradually replacing the muffled flipping of pages as technology advances. With digital media becoming a staple for many libraries, renovating libraries across the nation is more important than ever. Definitions Digital Native: A person born in the age of computers and digital technology. They are usually born after 1995.Libraries of the futureOver the last ten years or so the way humanity accesses information has changed. In “Libraries Reinvent Themselves as They Struggle to Stay Relevant in the Digital Age,” David Sarno chronicles these changes; and how our digital lifestyles influence these institutions. With the availability of high-speed Internet on every device, imaginable information is just a click or swipe away. Libraries are reinventing themselves by creating digital lending libraries, computer centers and even game rooms for younger generations. With digital access to nearly all written works, libraries are experiencing a decline in circulation; and are trying to find ways to adapt to today's digital lifestyles. With the invention of e-Readers and tablets, digital reading is at its highest level; consumers can purchase books, subscribe to magazines and newspapers, and have the...... print media...... struggle to stay relevant in the digital age." Los Angeles Times November 12, 2010, Web No. Web Page .September 23, 2013.Cottrell, Megan “Paperless Libraries.”American Libraries 44.9/10 (2013): 11-12.Full Text Library InformationScience & Technology AbstractsNovember 4, 2013Harris, Frances JacobsonFound It on the Internet: Coming of Age Online 5th Library Association, 2005. 161. Print.Zickuher, Kathryn, Rainie, Lee, Purcell, Kristen, Library services in the digital age, Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 22, 2013, http://libraries.pewinternet .org/ 2013/01/22/servizi-biblioteca, December 10, 2013. “Digital Libraries.” File News Services Issues and Controversies, August 8, 2011. Web, September 23, 2013. “The Future of Reading".. 2013