City of Ottawa Public Libraries are a useful and valuable resource

In this information age Ottawa can, and should be a centre of innovation and knowledge. And this means supporting libraries.

There has been some talk in Ottawa lately that libraries are no longer needed, but this is not the case and this is not the mark of a World Class City or even a small town or village for that matter.

For one thing, not everything is available on the Internet, not everyone has computers or Internet access, some students do not have adequate places to study at their homes, and not everyone knows how to search for the right information.

While technology is changing and there are advances on how information is accessed and distributed there is, and there always will be a need for places where people can come to learn, to ask questions of the librarians, to do research and to meet others in the pursuit of knowledge.

This is not to say that libraries cannot use the Internet or other means to serve rural areas or areas of low population.

But at any typical library there are many more books and magazines available than computer terminals so "hard copy" material is also very important and its value must not be underestimated. Libraries are part of communities and they are essential for healthy communities.

If that were not the case then Bill and Belinda Gates (yes of Microsoft) would not have set up a Foundation to fund libraries in the United States and all around the world. To quote from their Internet site:

What do libraries and the Internet have in common?
They’re portals to vital information, and they help people participate more fully in their communities.

The digital divide in the United States is narrowing.
Still, 40 percent of Americans--often those with lower incomes and education levels--lack online access at home. For millions of people, their local public library is the only place to get connected. Use of computers and the Internet at libraries is at an all-time high. People come to do research for school and work, find jobs, get government information, and keep in touch.

In these tough economic times, libraries are more of an essential community resource than ever.
Libraries are safe, central spaces. Their services are free and available to all. Unfortunately, many libraries face shrinking budgets even as their use grows. Staff receive less training in technology skills, computers are becoming outdated, and Internet connections can’t handle the high-speed streaming audio and video requirements for distance education, research, and other activities. Libraries are struggling to stay up to speed in the face of too many library patrons and too little Internet bandwidth.

More information on the Gates Foundation be found here:

Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation.

Libraries are also useful places for youths to do their homework and research after school and on weekends as opposed to wandering around the city and doing nothing productive. It is a well known fact that if young people are occupied in an organized activity between the hours AFTER school and BEFORE the evening dinner, the chance of becoming involved in gang related activities is drastically reduced. Having local libraries can help fill the gap that exists in society today for young people.

Libraries, the Information age and Life Long Learning.