In traditional sense, most libraries serve as huge storages of books and materials from different ages. Therefore, to libraries advocates, efforts and money should be invested to upgrade it. However, opponents of library investment often point out that we can always access to those materials online, any further investment would be wasting of financial resource. In the scope of this essay, I shall analyze both views and give my own opinion.
According to people who object investing more money into libraries assert that with the appearance of internet, the role of traditional libraries is completely dispensable. Firstly, internet could serve as a virtual library which has nearly limitless storage capacity and can store infinite number of books and materials. Secondly, we can get all sort of information we want on the internet without having to strictly comply with working hours as we have to in traditional libraries.
On the other hand, libraries advocates believe that libraries also serve as ideal study environments rather than just storages of books. In fact, most students choose libraries for their workshop, assignments and research. Furthermore, as unlimited a storage as it may be, internet can only store those materials under the forms of numerical data, which are clearly not as valuable as the original manuscripts or materials which are deemed as archeological artefacts and can only be stored in libraries. As a matter of fact, the biggest library hold over thousands of books that are passed down from generation to generation. Last but not least, information stored in libraries under the forms of books and manuscripts is widely accepted as universal truth, which is exactly opposite in case of the internet where a large amount of information exists as personal ideas and opinions
To sum up, I strongly think that more effort and money should be spent on upgrading the infrastructure of those libraries and help them operate more efficiently
According to people who object investing more money into libraries assert that with the appearance of internet, the role of traditional libraries is completely dispensable. Firstly, internet could serve as a virtual library which has nearly limitless storage capacity and can store infinite number of books and materials. Secondly, we can get all sort of information we want on the internet without having to strictly comply with working hours as we have to in traditional libraries.
On the other hand, libraries advocates believe that libraries also serve as ideal study environments rather than just storages of books. In fact, most students choose libraries for their workshop, assignments and research. Furthermore, as unlimited a storage as it may be, internet can only store those materials under the forms of numerical data, which are clearly not as valuable as the original manuscripts or materials which are deemed as archeological artefacts and can only be stored in libraries. As a matter of fact, the biggest library hold over thousands of books that are passed down from generation to generation. Last but not least, information stored in libraries under the forms of books and manuscripts is widely accepted as universal truth, which is exactly opposite in case of the internet where a large amount of information exists as personal ideas and opinions
To sum up, I strongly think that more effort and money should be spent on upgrading the infrastructure of those libraries and help them operate more efficiently
