Libraries in the Digital Age

 Libraries in the Digital Age - Julianna Carranza

As modern technologies have come to increasingly influence our daily lives and institutions, libraries have also come to adapt to meet the needs of today's digital age. This evolution can be seen in how libraries incorporate online programs and digital tools for the daily operations of the library and in how they provide information and resources to patrons.

Adopting and implementing new technologies "enables librarians to use new technologies to promote sustainability of their roles..." (Mabunda & Du Plessis, 2022). In creating easier access to ebooks, online databases, the library's catalog, and remote librarian services, this increases the accessiblity to a greater population within the library's community. Libraries have also become vital giving the public access to technology such as desktops, printers, scanners, 3-D printers, and other digital resources that many may not have at home. In the article "Librarians in the Digital Age," it states, "Consider Multnomah County Library’s Lyndsey Runyan… overseeing a new facility… for underserved teenagers to build science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills by making electronic music, building robots, utilizing 3-D printers, and more" (Feldman & Todaro, 2016). By providing access to such resources to underserved communities, libraries are in effect ensuring that their patrons are not limited by their circumstances.

In many libraries, there are also programs that aim to help people grow in their digital literacy. With this ever evolving landscape, it can be harder for some to adjust and adapt, especially with this unprecedented access to information from the world wide web. By creating free programs that can aide patrons in developing online skills, it can allow them to have greater opportunities in the future and help them learn how they can find trustworthy and reliable sources. 

Librarians sre now able to spread information in a new way, not just through books, but with technology. As Feldman and Todaro note, “librarians… take pride in playing an integral role in the educational, cultural, and information experiences of their patrons” (2016).

The video below gives further information about libraries in the digital age.

"Libraries in the Internet Age" by Common Craft

References:

Feldman, S., & Todaro, J. (2016, January 19). Librarians in the Digital age. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/librarians-digital-age-wsj-response/

Mabunda, T. T., & Du Plessis, T. (2022). Employees’ perception of knowledge management in academic libraries in the digital age. South African Journal of Libraries & Information Science, 88(1), 1–11. https://doi-org.palomar.idm.oclc.org/10.7553/88-1-2057