17 july 2010, library 2.0

I've wondered about public libraries for ever. On the one hand, precious sources of knowledge, most importantly for those without access to books, internet, dvds and such at home. Others too: as a child I used to go every week with my father, and I now take my son, where he goes through shelf after shelf with fascination and awe. It should be crucial, but I'm not sure it is. So much is available from home or school, and do children go without a parent that takes them ? Libraries are expensive and their use is declining. They are often in old buildings that cost a fortune to heat and light and are never going to be redevelopment priorities. Many in the uk and beyond are now closing. I've tried to think about what "library 2.0" looks like, and an inventive lady I met yesterday gave me part of the answer. Whilst many libraries in the uk are old, many schools are new: and these large bits of the public estate are generally only used in the daytime from monday to friday - with evenings and weekends being libraries' busiest times. So why not section off part of a schools as the local library, surely generating enough income from selling off lovely old victorian buildings to take care of all security issues and the buying of books and technology for years to come, at the same time guaranteeing a base of users (children and parents) and helping establish schools as centres of their wider communities. The library is dead, long live the library !