Libraries and the Digital Divide

I remember when e-books were just starting to take off. The first kindle came out and everyone started losing their minds. Here's an article by one tech blogger arguing that e-books are just a fad, and a follow-up from that same blogger arguing the exact opposite, six months later. 

Will e-books replace the printed word? Will we all become cyber-men, so plugged in to digital media that we forget how to read entirely?

Cybermen circa the Fifth Doctor, from the BBC's sci-fi show Doctor Who.

People seem to have mistaken their love of stories and learning for love of the Book itself, as an artifact. For a long time, reading culture was synonymous with book culture, and for good reason. The written word has been around to some degree for as long as five thousand years, and humans have been printing recognizable books since at least the fourth century. But as technology pushes us further into the digital space, many people have started to question the relevance of books, and the library as an institution. The internet has given us instant access to the infinite information at the tip of our fingers; what do we need the library for?

As library staff, I think there are three major strategies we can take to bridge over the digital divide. 

1. Continue to develop our digital collections for tech-savvy patrons who prefer digital content, lest we be accused of being stuck in the past. 
2. Keep helping patrons learn research skills, and emphasize this as a major library service. 
3. Plan exciting and engaging programs so that people think of the library as a community building center, rather than just a dusty house for books.

For my money, I don't think we'll ever stop printing books. The way we find information and the way we tell stories may change overall, but I think there will always be patrons who prefer ink and paper. 

Award-winning YA author and popular youtuber John Green sums up the importance of literature to the human experience in this Crash Course video. (Content warning: very enthusiastic explanations)

Ultimately, I don't think it matters how people read, just that they do.