Well I guess arguably it did for some, and the same was said of the arrival of the ‘talkies’ in the 1920s, which ended the career of not a few silent movie stars who were capable of hamming it up for the cameras, but whose diction left a lot to be desired. But perhaps the lesson from both these advances in technology is that those who survived were those who were most ready to adapt to a changed world. Which brings me to this month’s theme for libraries:
Do continuing, rapid advances in new technology signal the end of libraries? This is perhaps not a new question, but I’ve noticed that it is a very current topic of conversation, not only in the UK but across the globe.
In Has technology killed the public library?, Liz McGettigan concludes that it has not, pointing out that “For centuries librarians have been busy with the role of their library buildings as portals to information, print and then digital”, going on to list the many ways that libraries offer access to a range of new technologies. Examples she gives include that many offer “formal or informal digital literacy programmes and provide classes or informal help related to coding/computer programming, robotics, and 3D printing”.
The Washington Post makes a more affirmative statement with the title Libraries will survive in a digital age. Here’s why. This very readable and entertaining article traces how libraries have featured in and responded to events in history over several thousand years. It concludes by saying that “Libraries, as symbols of power, have always been under threat” and closes with the encouraging thought that “The library, as a concept, will continue to evolve, balancing the needs of communities with their roles as keepers of knowledge reflecting the society’s values. It is in that harmonious dialogue that the future of the library can be found”.
At the same time we are currently seeing many practical examples of the role libraries are playing in a digital age, in particular how they are one of the key tools in addressing digital exclusion. Hotspot in a cold climate, an inspiring story published a couple of weeks ago in the Guardian Australia, begins by relating how during Covid-19 in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, the “Thomastown library branch manager was one of the few staff working on site – arriving early, leaving late, and always seeing the same vehicles in the car park. Then one day, she saw children sitting in them”. Those of you familiar with the use of public libraries in an area with social deprivation may have already guessed what was going on? The manager went on to speak to “the people in one of the cars and found out they were there so the children could do their homework – using the library’s wireless internet” and went on to discover that this was why they were all there: they either had no, or very limited, Wi-Fi access at home and weren’t able to afford it while more basic ‘survival’ expenses had to take priority.
In short, the Yarra Plenty Regional Library service set up a pilot programme to give Wi-Fi dongles with 60GB per month of data to 100 families for a year, initially from two libraries, but they are hoping to extend it to others. Highlighting an issue that should equally be on the agenda of every UK local authority, the Chief Executive points out that “Tech access and digital literacy is integral for contemporary public libraries, but it’s also integral for every community member to participate in society. You’re really left out if you don’t have that access. More and more government services can only be accessed on the internet.” She goes on to make a telling observation for our theme of libraries in a technological age: “I see the hotspot as a collections item. Content only used to come in a book but now it comes from access to the internet. How do you make that accessible for all members of the community?”
The Computers in Libraries 2022 event, which takes place next March in Arlington, Virginia, sets out its stall by saying: “Librarians have always been creative and innovative, but the last few years has pushed us to try new things, experiment with new technologies, find new community pathways and build new relationships. This year’s Computers in Libraries shines a light on those libraries that have experimented, those that have excelled and those that have wild stories to share”.
For those looking for practical applications to emulate, there are endless examples of initiatives using new technology to provide PCs or Wi-Fi access at home, help with job-seeking, or for remote workers who need a place to touch down.
A favourite of mine, which I’ve mentioned before, is Do Space in Omaha, Nebraska, which has turned the debate about books v. technology completely on its head with a technology library open to everyone: the technology largely free of charge to members but with a nominal cost for printed materials. One of their recent initiatives is a Virtual Interview Lab, a bookable space equipped with a PC, high-speed internet, webcam, quality sound and with most of the common online meeting software already installed.
Nearer to home, the Westminster Business Library has opened a newly refurbished space, which “invites remote workers, freelancers, and small business owners to use our state-of-the-art co-working facilities, equipped with superfast Wi-Fi, meeting rooms and free breakout spaces, at highly affordable rates”. There are now similar initiatives, often provided through a third party, in a number of UK libraries.
So, returning to the theme of my opening paragraph and the words of the song that feature in the title of this blog (familiar to us all from the version by The Buggles … I just had to get that name in!), ”We can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far”. Some of those silent movie stars did make it into talking pictures. And some of the radio stars did survive the arrival of video. The Washington Post article mentioned earlier makes it clear that libraries and those who manage them also have an instinct for survival, so I suggest that the public library services that will thrive in a digital age are those that respond positively and seize the opportunities that it offers.
I’ll leave you with the story of the world’s oldest continually operating library: even there technology is revealing previously hidden secrets, indeed lost languages. And if you don’t know what a palimpsest is, you’d better click on that link!
Geoff Allen is a senior associate consultant with Activist Group. The views expressed in this blog are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Activist.