# Question for All: What do libraries mean to you and are they still important?



## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm asking this question not in relation to Kindle at all, but because the little village I live in is trying to open a library branch by purchasing a building that came up for sale. We have a tiny library branch, but I've only been there a few times. I tried to go there more, but they were never open! It was literally two tiny rooms of books (like, rooms in a house. Small rooms.) and I don't even know if they had a table and chairs. So, when this other building came up for sale for a very good price, the village bought it with the intention of turning it into a library. It would be shared with a couple of other small towns in the area. As you can imagine, with small town politics, things are getting heated.   I won't go into that, but this new library is a thirty second walk from the K-8 grade school. It is in the heart of the village, walkable/bikeable from everywhere. The whole village is only about a mile long and .5 mile wide, so the location couldn't be better. The other location, while obviously not very far from anyone, is on the main road, which is used by trucks leaving the main highway to cut through to another highway--people don't want their kids walking along there as there are no sidewalks. 

What I'd like is some reasons why a library is a good investment for the village. I think it is. Yes, there is always going to be something else that is 'more important' and so it can be argued the money can be better spent on sewer upgrades or some other infrastructure. I can't argue that, but there must be something I can say to get some people to realize that libraries are a long term investment in our children, as well as a nice place for adults to go--besides one of the four bars in town.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Thing is, in this day and age, libraries are less about books, than about places that folks can go to use computers for various types of research.  And of course a qualified librarian is an excellent source as well. 

Of course you mostly can borrow books -- but also all sorts of other media as well -- including movies and music and such like.  And digital content, too, which doesn't even require a visit to the library.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I grew up going to the library twice a week. Mommy & Me story time when I was little, then later to get books. But I'm almost 43. Our local library has long outgrown its space as well. We just passed a bond to build & move to a larger building. I think they are putting in more computer research stations, and conference rooms, study rooms, and of course, more books, But I know we also have a large video/dvd/blue ray collection, as well as a large audio  collection.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

The public library was an important part of my early life, and I'm sure had a lot to do with my current love of reading. However, I don't think I've checked a book out of a library since the early '80s, so it's not just current technology that has made them largely irrelevant for me now. I cannot even really tell you why that came to be, other than it seemed easier for me to find the specific books I was interested in (mainly in SF&F) at book stores than at the local library; and then I just got out of the habit. I suppose I had more discretionary income, too.


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## WDR (Jan 8, 2014)

If it wasn't for libraries, I wouldn't be a reader and I wouldn't be a writer.

I think I was four or five when I got my first library card. To me, then, that was the biggest life achievement I had attained yet! I had an official, government issued (well, town government) ID, just like any adult! I could walk into that building, find a book I liked, and walk out with it! It got enough use, I had to get a new one every year because the card would wear out. (I admit, to this day I still get a little thrill out of getting a new library card when the occasion warrants it.)

Because the library is near the school, it allows to schools to save money by utilizing the school library. Also, it will get the kids thrilled about going to the library because it means getting out of the school. How often do you leave your place of employment to grab a sandwich at lunchtime? Or at least, go outside the office when weather warrants it?

Kids encouraged to do to the library will read more and therefore do better in school. Doing better in school will raise the quality of life, and the town/village will benefit from higher incomes earned by the future citizens of the town. Or, do you want a bunch of townies staying in town, barely graduating high school so when the local mill shuts down, the whole village goes unemployed. Then you end up with a bunch of jobless drunks hanging out in the bars all day. You think people will hang around when that happens? Towns _DO_ shut down! It happens a lot!

A library for a small village is a good place to hold community events. Rather than being a building that's a waste of money, when people see that they can use one of the rooms for meetings, events, etc., they start to see a use for it. A lot of times, towns use the library as a cultural center for the town. Scituate, RI, holds an art festival each year. It's gotten so big, they actually shut down the main streets in the town and turn it into one huge art fair. I'm hoping to set up a table there this year and sell books. The townies tend to complain about "all this sissy arts stuff," until they see it bringing in real money into the town. Yeah, let the townies tend to complain. Then they see some guy in a black tank top, tattoos, and his V-twin 1200cc motorcycle next to his table where he is selling hand made jewelry and leather goods and his pants pockets are stuffed with all the dollars he's making. Suddenly, the next year the townies are all out there selling hand-knitted pot warmers, oil paintings, pottery and glass work and making money. Having a fair in the town really livens things up, and very quickly people begin to look forward to it each year. (Hint, if you have a good fair, that's a good time to suggest setting up adult art classes at the library. My father just started taking painting lessons two weeks ago and he's discovered he really loves it!)

As a writer, libraries are great places to do book signings. How about holding a book signing event at the library's opening? Not just one author, but a whole bunch! And don't be shy about sending out invitations to big name authors, either. If you don't ask, you'll never know if they might say yes. I know a couple of writers who enjoy popping into libraries for reading groups, so long as it is a reasonably close drive and they have the time available. You'd be surprised what writers may actually live near you, even if you are out in the boondocks.


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## deckard (Jan 13, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Thing is, in this day and age, libraries are less about books, than about places that folks can go to use computers for various types of research. And of course a qualified librarian is an excellent source as well.
> 
> Of course you mostly can borrow books -- but also all sorts of other media as well -- including movies and music and such like. And digital content, too, which doesn't even require a visit to the library.


^^ This ^^

Libraries are less and less about a repository of books and more about a gathering place; a place to use the computer; a resource for people to do and be helped with research on topics. And with Overdrive, 3M Cloud and other e-services, going to the library solely for a book is becoming less common.

Yes, I totally agree with Ann. People still can check out a book. In fact, today I checked a Harlan Ellison book (from comments on another K-Boards topics discussion) and I believe people will continue to do so---along with checking out videos, music, and a visiting a place to read newspapers and magazine.

And a good librarian who can help guide people in research or help find a new author has value beyond just a person behind a desk in a building.

Just my passing thoughts.

Deckard


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## timskorn (Nov 7, 2012)

I go to my local library so my kids can play and pick out some books to take home.  The kids' section has a lot of toys and activities for them to play, along with some computers (I'm pretty sure they had Oregon Trail installed!).  The library also has certain hours where they do storytelling or arts and crafts.  Of course, while I'm there I make use of my time and read.  When I was researching for my novel it was a perfect place to find books and references I wouldn't have normally read.

The library also allows movies to be checked out which a lot of people come in for.  I think there's a lot of room to modernize libraries to make them more attractive social experiences without removing its fundamental purpose.

I'm not suggesting they turn into coffee houses, but there's an opportunity here to offer more free services over and above borrowing books that could make them relevant again to the general public.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I was fortunate that when I was in the Second grade, we moved to a house where there was a (tiny, but it was there) branch library literally a block away, and I was easily able to go there often. I used the place heavily. As I got older, my reading tastes became more specialized, and I exhausted most of the books in the little branch library library that interested me. And by my teens, I wasn't even as interested in experimenting and expanding my horizons as I am now. I had a renewal of library use as a student, I spent time I should've spent studying reading for recreation! But once I graduated, the seductions of the huge campus library were too far away.

As an adult, before Amazon came on the scene I had spurts of library use for a few months at a time, but I've barely set foot in libraries since the mid-1990s. I think Amazon made it so easy (as long as I would keep shoveling out money) to get even obscure books that interested me, that I lost interest. In the past fifteen years I don't think I've set foot in a library ten times.

Similar to what Ann wrote, I understand that now libraries are more about research opportunities, and less about books. Which is a shame to me as a book lover, but is probably the right choice!


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## heidi_g (Nov 14, 2013)

Even though I'm an avid ereader, libraries are still a part of my life. I probably checked out my last book a month ago! Why are libraries important? Community and commitment. They build a community around enlarging our worlds. Whether that's by offering us places to research, have access to computers, etc. Offering a warehouse for human experience whether or not it's fiction or non-fiction. It's also a symbolic and physical commitment to a literate community. Literacy is vital. JUST VITAL. If you're going to do something for the kids in your community, have a library. Create activities for them to draw them in.

I have been so fortunate to live in cities that have had phenomenal library systems. Austin, San Diego, Spokane. These are also ALL great communities that I've taken pride to be part of. I suspect there is a connection


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Libraries are more about community these days than the necessity for accessing a free book. We can all find free books to download, but it's fun to get together with people of similar interests and discuss the books we love. My local library built an entirely new state of the art facility about 5 years ago and use the old building for storage and offices. The new one has meeting rooms that the local historical society sometimes uses to host week long events, such as last year's 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. They used display cases with artifacts from local citizens who served in the military, ran old newsreels and films featuring historical figures of the time, and gave lectures that shed enlightenment on the lesser known reasons for the War Between the States.

Apart from that, the children were given a third of the entire first floor with their own windowseats, mini armchairs, play area for younger siblings, and more computers of their own. Yes, there are still families who do not have access to a computer, and many school nights find these computers at 100% occupancy. The teens were given their own "hangout" room with a large sofa that encircles two-thirds of the room where they go to discuss their favorite books and listen to CDs. (The room is sound-proof.) It's a nice way for kids to get together and introduce new books to each other. After all, that is how *The Lord of the Rings * became a worldwide phenomena more than 10 years after its initial release: the teens who discovered it and shared it with each other. My library also hosts parties featuring new releases that brings the young people in by the hundreds. Depending on the book the party may include a hunt for some treasure or a game involving a remedy for a spell cast by an evil wizard. And the little ones are kept entertained in the summer months with the weekly Story Hour, featuring local people who are willing to act out the tale of the week.

Yes, I would say that libraries are still important. Because half of the fun of reading a book is to share it with others. There's nothing quite like that moment when a couple of people have that revelation: "What! You like that book too!"


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

Thank you for all the replies. I agree that libraries have become more of a resource center with various media. People go there to research a topic, however, for kids, especially grade school age, they may have smart phones and iPads, but most aren't using them to browse Amazon for new books. It just doesn't enter their mind. My dd has an iPhone and a Kindle. She never browses for books with either. She's an avid reader, but learns about most of the books she wants either from her friends in real life, online from friends in role playing groups, but mostly, from the school library. They can go once a week, but are limited to one or two books and the selection is a bit limited. Also, the school library isn't open evening, weekends and summer. 

I think libraries are important for children to learn to discover books. I mean, I love Amazon, and have no trouble finding books, but kids are different. They may not mind reading on a Kindle, but until they learn how to find books they may like, libraries can help guide them. Not just libraries, but bookstores. Kids are more interested in holding the books, looking at the covers, turning them over and reading the blurb, and looking inside. Eventually, they subconsciously learn what kind of covers to look for to match their tastes. It's a lot harder to do that on a small screen. Unfortunately, the closest bookstore to our town is about 50 minutes away. 

I love the idea of using the library as a community gathering place, and that's one of my arguments for it. Naysayers don't come right out and say a library is a bad idea, they just say it's not a need, but just a want.


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## kansaskyle (Sep 14, 2010)

I know I'm stereotyping here...  

Libraries seem great for kids and seniors because these groups have ample time to read, and potentially limited funds to buy the amount of books they can quickly consume.  On the senior side, I think this is more pronounced when you factor in magazines, movies, and audio books that are available at a library for free.

Considering most adults read a book or two a year, I think they are content with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, WalMart, the airport news stand, etc. to pick up a book.  They just don't read enough where cost is a factor.  It seems to be more about convenience and quick access.  

So, for the village, I think I would focus on those age groups for the reading aspect, and then focus on community events, research, etc. for the rest.


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## cork_dork_mom (Mar 24, 2011)

Libraries are still viable and necessary... but for different reasons than back in the day.

Today a library is a place to have a community meeting, look for a job, learn to speak English, sign language and have access to digital content in addition to all the gazillions of other reasons libraries are a valuable resource.

NPR reported recently that public libraries have been moved to the top part of the list in cases of natural disasters/emergencies because they're the place where authorities can disseminate information, meet with first responders and even distribute items needed after a disaster. It's the hub of the community so why not use it as such but in a much broader way. I think this is a fantastic use of libraries and their role in a community.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes . . .they're definitely more 'community center' than just quiet study rooms.  Many of the libraries around hear are actually pretty lively -- though there are always areas that are 'quiet' areas for those that need that.  But the librarians don't shush people nearly as much as they used to!


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> But the librarians don't shush people nearly as much as they used to!


In my local library they don't "shush" people at all but greet them (frequently by name) as they enter a department, and even initiate or join conversations with patrons regarding various books or topics if they happen to overhear a conversation. But it's clear that the librarians love to read too and just can't resist discussing a good book!


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## hs (Feb 15, 2011)

When I was a kid, our weekly visit to the library was a treat because I had access to all of these books for free! If it wasn't for our local library, I wouldn't be the avid reader that I am today. The size of the library didn't matter either. One year, the library near me closed for renovations and there was a temporary book mobile in its place with a fraction of the book selection, but there were still plenty of new books to discover.

Now that I have kids of my own, we make weekend visits to the library a part of our routine. When they were very young, my kids enjoyed library events like reading time. Now, it's still all about the books for them, even though, at home, they're as engrossed in video games and computers as other kids their age. They still get a thrill out of finding a new series that interests them or just trying out an unknown book for the heck of it.


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## DashaGLogan (Jan 30, 2014)

Our local lending library is like coming home, there are some books there I read when I was a child and they are still there. It's a small one.
But I remember at Uni, we would spend entire days in the giant rows of shelves of the "new arrivals", the not yet sorted book,  just randomly picking out stuff. We also had our own little corner in the "Italian Literature" Section where we came together to study, discuss life and hide out from the world.
I love libraries and I wish I could spend more time there.


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## Melody Simmons (Jul 8, 2012)

Sorry to say my kids find their school library awfully boring...Since I buy all the latest and most exciting books for them from Amazon, both ebook and paperback format, their library cannot keep up and compare.  Their computers are also more advanced than what the school has.  I have not stepped into a public library for years and did not know they still exist. Thought they were a part of the bygone Post Office age.  No judgement, just stating facts.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

It may seem silly, but I like to go to the library just to be surrounded by books. I don't go as often as I used to because the closest library is half an hour away. Sometimes, I'll go to the college library, but they close for long vacations whenever the school does.

Our city shut down a police substation a couple of years ago and the county is going to turn it into a library. It's about a five minute drive for me and I can't wait. I'll probably go back to checking out books again, because it'll be so easy to return them. But I'll probably have to wait another 12-18 months for them to open <sigh>


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

I haven't been inside of a library in probably more than a decade. However, we regularly donate money and (popular) books to our local branches, and anytime there's a fund raiser or some other function to help (even *gasp* taxes/levies), we do our part to make sure citizens will always have a place to go for books (and whatever else a library offers these days). 

It's probably time I actually find out what the inside of the Boise Public Library looks like.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I grew up in a small village and the library was in the small town a few miles away. It was small but well stocked. 

As an adult, I had only gone to the library here in the US where I live now about 4 years ago or so. I actually checked out quite a few paper books in 2013. I haven't done so yet in 2014. Mostly because paper books are a bit difficult to read for me. I live in a fairly large city so there are many libraries. You go online and just "order" a book or books and they deliver them to your home library. Its a great system. They put them on racks when they are ready and all I had to to was go in, grab my pile and scan and go. Browsing is a bit difficult for me because I constantly have to tilt my head to read the spine. Am I the only one that has problems with that? Its painful after 5 minutes. Plus, I like reading romance and my local library has put that in the dark corner and its either racks of paperbacks or mixed in with mystery/thriller. I couldn't find anything. Much easier to browse on the computer. 

Its always a busy and noisy place, always a lot of kids there of all ages too. Really all ages are at that library. The tables are always filled with people either checking out computers or reading and studying. I see a lot of students there. Its not a large library though. 
They have a separate room where they have each morning childrens readings and other events during the day. Tax help, naturalization test help, book clubs, teenage after school programs, etc. 
Parking is unfortunately a pain in the behind. It seems like there should be enough parking, but there never is. And there are no other places to quickly park the car, you have to wait until someone leaves.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Thing is, in this day and age, libraries are less about books, than about places that folks can go to use computers for various types of research. And of course a qualified librarian is an excellent source as well.
> 
> Of course you mostly can borrow books -- but also all sorts of other media as well -- including movies and music and such like. And digital content, too, which doesn't even require a visit to the library.


^^ this.

They are also a way to bring in hard-to-access books, too, for research. Here, they offer community programs, such as various child programs, language programs, teenager gaming hangouts on Friday nights, how to use a computer, writing classes, etc. All of these are free and all of the libraries in town are accessible by public transport, which means they are one of the few places that provide equal opportunity to programming.


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## MissingAlaska (Apr 28, 2014)

I live in a super-small town with less than 500 people.  Our library is tiny - but a Godsend.  

Personally, I tend to use it for nonfiction books and periodicals that:
1) Are too expensive to buy (scientifice publications, some periodicals, reference, etc)
2) Are not on Kindle - and I need it NOW 
3) I will use for ten minutes of research and really don't want to buy it
4) I want to read before I buy 
5) Cannot be bought (rare or out-of-print, local books). 
If my local library and our state University's library can't help me out, I look to library loans.  I also tap the knowledge of our local librarian for everything from local history to research methods.

I don't tend to borrow fiction from the library as I'm getting most of that on Kindle (and can never predict what I am in the mood to read at a given time anyway).

Most people in our community are still dial-up in our community - and our library provides many therir only means of a accessing a broad-band connection.

I also see lots of children and low income users making use of our library.  We have a lot of tourists who stop in as well - and the branch serves as a mini museum.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

Among my earliest and fondest childhood memories are those of walking down to the library every Friday night with my dad, each of us checking out a pile of books (the librarian waived the limit on the number of books a child was allowed to borrow at any one time for me).

I still go to the library every week. I often have books to collect - they have a good range of long out-of-print New Zealand historical texts. I visit several different branch libraries, and they're always buzzing. There's Wriggle and Rhyme for the littlies, story time during the hols, book clubs, meetings of special interest groups... They're nice spaces to be, and a great community resource.


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## Daniel Harvell (Jun 21, 2013)

Libraries, perhaps more than a lot of institutions (I'm looking at you, USPS), have drastically evolved to fit modern needs. I was always at the library as a kid and worked at a library for two years in college - I was extremely impressed by how they/we did so much on so little. I don't go as often as I once did, but I know many people utilize my area libraries on a very regular basis. As PBS' Arthur once sang - Having fun isn't hard when you have a library card! http://youtu.be/BezT0aygaQ0


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Atunah said:


> Browsing is a bit difficult for me because I constantly have to tilt my head to read the spine. Am I the only one that has problems with that? Its painful after 5 minutes.


Atunah - I have BPPM - which is a benign vertigo syndrome so I cannot tilt my head back at all. The room starts spinning when I do. Hard to buy groceries on the top shelf, I cannot get my hair washed at a salon, and I take a pillow with me to the dentist. Cannot lie flat on my back to exercise. I haven't been to a library for awhile - but I would have the same problem if I did. Hadn't thought about that.


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Not everyone has or can afford a kindle/eReader. Yes, libraries are fabulous for all of the reasons above, but when I hear of towns doing away with libraries I get so sad.  Libraries are an investment in our future, and the future of all of the children in our community. My family was too poor to buy books when I was a child, so my mom took me to the library several times a week.  Thankfully I had that opportunity.


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## Low Kay Hwa (Jun 15, 2012)

The Internet has made many things obsolete; it could merely be a matter of when libraries would suffer the same fate. I won't be surprised if it's within the next twenty years or so.


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## Hilary Thomson (Nov 20, 2011)

I grew up with a very poor-quality small town library only to move on to a college library that was better, but it was also academically inclined, and Plato is not casual reading.  My current local library is better for the latter, but they also weeded about three-quarters of all their books a few years ago.  Some of the old books deserved to go, but they also dumped plenty of good ones.  Because of things like this, I use the local library more for downloadable ebooks and audiobooks for the car than for any book on their shelves.  I have a lot of trouble finding a good print book among their stock that I'd want to read.  Like a lot of other libraries, it's beginning to be more and more of a community center for meetings and internet use than a repository for books.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

My family goes to the library once a week. The children constantly come home with stacks and stacks of books. I swear we get a call from the library two or three times a week telling us one book or another has come in.

That's what we use a lot: the inter-library loan system. We can get a book from any library in the state for free in a matter of days. If my large library doesn't have it--and it's a Toledo branch--I'm almost certain to find it somewhere in Ohio. Not everything, but almost.

Currently I'm reading a library book. The wife and I just watched Gravity, American Hustle, and Dallas Buyer's Club all on BluRay and all from the library. We love it!


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## John F (May 19, 2014)

In addition to all that's been said already - and I agree with it - the library where I volunteer is a place where people can get on the Internet without subscribing to an ISP (they bring their laptops etc. because the building has free wi-fi throughout) or even without owning a computer, as there are free access computers as well. In another library I believe there's a separate area with Internet computers set up for use by children. This might help sell your villagers on the social usefulness and importance of a library even in what some of them may think of as a post-book age. Of course this would depend on having a computer-savvy person available to maintain and fix the computers, etc.


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

Yeah, I agree with all that.

I think that, as physical bookstores become less important, libraries will become more important for carrying physical books that can be browsed in a relaxed and "unplugged" manner.  I buy most of my books online . . . but I do my physical browsing and discovery at a library.  Amazon.com just can't give me that at all.


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