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Writer's pictureSherrie Wyatt

Do we need libraries?

Sherrie talks about how libraries offer more than just the opportunity to check out books.


Short answer, yes.


We need libraries not just for books or movies, but for our own research. Many generations have had a library, and now, as time evolves, libraries are vanishing. They are not only about books but also about having a place to go to work or use a public computer for any purpose.


Some libraries offer services such as using a computer or desktop, simply by logging in with a library card. Also, they let you use their printer to print important documents for school or work. Apart from work purposes, a library is a nice, quiet place to just go to have some serenity.


Libraries have had an interesting past. In some film depictions, like the television show Little House on the Prairie, it shows at one time the library situated in a general store. This is a store that sells everything from clothes to food, but a library was in the back, away from all the products. From this tv show we get an idea of what a library might have looked like once, and how a library is now. There is many other shows and movies that show libraries in a different light, like in the movie Desk Set. This is just a romantic movie, but it highlights interesting scenes of what it's like to work as a library assistant.

When you think of libraries, your mind shouldn't immediately drift to boredom. I used to be that way because I hated reading and honestly, I still don't like it that much. But, you don't have to be a book buff to use a library.


One thing I remember as a kid is printing off color pages at my local library and getting to color while I waited to go home. Many libraries also offer special activities for kids in the summer, like t-shirt tie dying.


Ultimately, do we need libraries? Probably not to some, but they offer much more to people than books. A library could be a fun place to kids, or a job to some. It can even serve as a shelter, workplace, or a safe serene place to be. So, when you start to think about the necessity of a library, think about the wide range of opportunities it provides for all sorts of people.


*Prompt taken from New York Times list of topics.

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