Librarians?

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We have 24 hours liquor stores, 24 hours human body stores and 24 hours gaming but we’ve never had 24 hours libraries. How about the internet? It’s not a library.

Public and college libraries have their back against the wall despite incorporating changes to meet the escalating demand for digital devices. If you find yourself in Toronto, visit the city library and see the size of the online section on the ground floor. After that, take the elevator to the stacks and count how many people are pulling books from the shelves and reading them.

Acquired knowledge through books is overtaken by downloadable knowledge available 24/7, because the internet does not have winter and summer opening hours, like libraries.  It is online surfing waya waya (all the time), as they say in South Africa and you don’t need a library card to download it either.

Downloadable knowledge cripples both college and public libraries because they are no longer the exclusive fountain of knowledge.  In fact, experts might be a thing of the past because of equal access to that knowledge, for both ordinary people and college professors or city librarians.  Anyone with a cellphone or computer can tap and retrieve information.

You have come across it yourself when you were sick. The eye specialist went to his computer and showed you how the eye works and explained why you were having eye problems.  It is also quite common for doctors to go online and print recommended diets for their patients. 

What most patients don’t tell them is that they Googled the symptoms before they booked a medical appointment.  One cartoon said it all.  Doctor to Patient: What did the internet say you’re suffering from?

Being an expert had its advantages in countries conquered by Europe. The teacher was held in high regard in Africa, because very few people understood the language of colonizers like Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and France. The teacher wore many hats, teaching and interpreting, telling defeated people why they must pay tax to Queen Victoria. The court interpreter was also respected because he understood ‘grammar’ which means big words used by the white man. 

Who needs the library if we can download information?

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

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