From http://www.zencollegelife.com/2009/12/29/85-reasons-to-be-thankful-for-librarians/:
85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians
by jonathan on December 29, 2009
- Librarians take care of libraries, which are still invaluable today.
- Not all information is on the internet.
- Older books still hold great cultural significance.
- Libraries are still repositories for some of the most valuable works of literature in the world.
- Even with the internet, the library is still the best place to do research.
- Girls with glasses can still rock the “sexy librarian” look.
- “Sexy Librarian” is still a popular costume at Halloween.
- You can’t exactly find periodicals like The New England Journal of Medicine in Barnes and Noble.
- For that matter, looking at turn-of-the-century National Geographics is still pretty entertaining.
- Colleges need something to remodel every so often.
- The library is still the best meeting spot for college students working on group projects.
- Libraries are where most colleges store some of their history (choir CDs, videos of athletic matches, etc.).
- A library is one of the few places people can have free internet access.
- This means some libraries even hold LAN parties during later hours.
- Somebody has to help lazy people find what they want.
- Even online collections of books usually connect directly to a library.
- “Librarian” is still a better career choice for spinsters over “School Lunch Lady.”
- Studies have shown libraries and librarians improve student test scores.
- They also have been shown to improve students’ individual learning skills.
- With their training in instructional design, librarians can help teachers find resources for their curriculum.
- Librarians also help teachers to use a variety of media in the classroom.
- Many libraries today offer enough DVDs to serve as a poor man’s Netflix or Blockbuster.
- Librarians often put together special programs to get children to read early on.
- While teaching children to use the library, librarians end up teaching them valuable problem solving skills.
- They also teach children to use multiple resources to form their own original works.
- If librarians were no longer around, kids wouldn’t understand the opening scene from Ghostbusters.
- Librarians know a lot about proper citation skills, as well as ethical uses of information, in order to avoid plagiarism issues.
- Libraries are still a cheaper place to make photocopies than FedEx Kinko’s.
- Despite the advances in computer technology, a human will still find information better than a search engine.
- Librarians can also find information better suited to the person who needs it.
- A library is much MUCH more well cataloged and organized than the internet.
- Libraries have much better quality control than the vast majority of websites.
- Who else is going to learn the Dewey Decimal System? You?
- Seriously though, no one wants to learn the Dewey Decimal System.
- For that matter, who else is going to show you how to use that microfiche machine?
- Experienced librarians often know exactly what resources students need for particular courses.
- Many libraries collaborate and offer book exchange programs, offering users an almost limitless supply of books and media.
- Librarians can help relieve some of the workload from teachers by helping students to understand information better.
- Some engineering teams have already explored the idea of a fully digital library…and ended up designing a traditional library with some advanced technology.
- The copyright costs for digitizing all literature would be astronomical without even factoring in distribution and storage.
- Even without the costs, digitizing all books in existence would take hundreds of years at the current rate.
- The internet still mostly only holds information from the past 15 or so years, compared with the hundreds of years of knowledge found in a library.
- Even though libraries themselves may be losing attendance, their online archives and websites are still receiving plenty of visitors.
- Despite the rising popularity of e-books, 80% of people surveyed say they still prefer paper books.
- The experience of reading an actual book is being preserved by libraries.
- Libraries provide one of the few places for anyone to find quiet area to just read or study.
- Sometimes, but not always, libraries have free coffee.
- Sometimes there are even free snacks.
- Unlike the internet, libraries are careful that the information they contain is checked for usefulness before being included.
- Also unlike the internet, libraries are much less influenced by corporate interests.
- They are also less likely to be manipulated by individuals, like search engine optimizers.
- Information on more specific topics can be much easier to find in libraries.
- Digital or not, a library still needs a human staff to run it.
- The resources of a library are well indexed and will always deliver reliable results (I.e. no “broken links”).
- Many popular news publications still require subscriptions to view their content online, but are still available for free at the library.
- Libraries provide free and abundant knowledge to everyone (a privilege people didn’t always have).
- Not everyone can afford books, but everyone has access to the library.
- Someone has to buy all those books that college professors write.
- Public bathrooms in libraries are usually cleaner than most places.
- A library can mold itself for the specific community it’s in, whereas websites usually try to bring in everyone.
- At libraries, you can take practice qualifying tests for almost any profession.
- You can always make suggestions to librarians for specific books you’d like to see.
- Many libraries also display original works of art or even have separate galleries.
- Some libraries also hold a limited number of free museum passes that anyone can use.
- If you don’t have a computer, you can always use the ones in the library.
- The same goes for certain premium software and special databases.
- If your library offers wi-fi, it’s probably free.
- Several libraries also offer programs that cater to senior citizens.
- Believe it or not, studies show that libraries are good for their local economy, since they make their community for attractive to potential businesses and individuals.
- Libraries are still a cornerstone for free speech and open access to information.
- When dictators like Hitler and Mao Zedong set out to eliminate a country’s culture or history, they started by shutting down the public libraries.
- A library still provides a neutral environment for the free exchange of ideas.
- Public libraries are surprisingly cheap to maintain, but benefit everyone in the community.
- If you’re a comic book lover, you can probably find plenty at your local library.
- They might even have some of those expensive indie graphic novels available.
- We’re still an incredibly long ways away from a paperless world.
- You might as well use the library, since you’re already paying for it through taxes or tuition.
- There’s less risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome from reading books.
- A library is a great excuse to get out of the house (seriously, why would anyone argue with you about it?).
- Books are very portable and never need recharging.
- With the economy these days, going to the library is a great source of free entertainment.
- You can “try before you buy” any number of books without spending a dime.
- Some libraries even have bookmobiles or mailing programs that deliver books right to you.
- Studies have repeatedly shown that reading improves your basic vocabulary and just generally makes you smarter.
- Regardless of what form a library takes, a librarian will always be ready to guide you to the information you need.