KAMI Garcia, an American writer, quoted in her book “Beautiful Creatures” that “Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.” Considering this quote, I deeply pondered the importance of libraries in societies. We must establish more libraries to extend justice to society. As society grows, their need for information also grows. Undoubtedly, the library plays a pivotal role in the society where we live, communicate, and transfer knowledge from generation to generation. The library provides access to a vast range of information and resources, fosters literacy and education, and supports people’s lifelong learning services. It serves as a community hub and a great source of social interactions and cultural activities. Libraries ensure equitable access and preserve cultural heritage. They empower societies with enriching knowledge and research education. They promote educational resources for the general public, provide access to vast information, and offer free public access to books, etc.
In today’s era of information technology, libraries grant access to digital media and offer internet services to support the research needs of their community members. Libraries also help youngsters search for jobs; every library acquires newspapers daily, which helps them find jobs that interest them. Libraries organize educational programs like book talks and author discussions, and invite industrial experts to empower the youth with robust job opportunities. The library provides equitable information access to all community members regardless of caste, creed, or educational background. It also bridges the digital divide of society; those interested in printed books use them for study purposes, while those preferring online access also benefit. Libraries provide safe and quiet study spaces and specific corners for academic scholars.
Libraries offer professional development courses to young community members and serve children through various programs. During the COVID-19 era, libraries worldwide offered health information programs for their community members and invited eminent health specialists to inform the local community about preventive measures. Libraries are hubs of government information, where performance reports of different ministries such as economic surveys, educational budgets, and population statistics can be found. Modern libraries provide materials in local languages and resources in multilingual formats like Chinese, Russian, Persian, among others. They preserve local history archives as well as histories of other states for decision-making processes.
Many libraries organize environmental awareness programs such as reducing smog, eco-friendly workshops, water conservation, energy conservation programs, greenhouse movements, and community gardens. Modern libraries invite specialized online programming groups, such as how to earn through e-commerce, empowering youth to make a livelihood in an online environment if they fail to find local jobs. They educate students on joining crypto currency programs, Amazon, Shopify and other sources, inspiring them to contribute to government remittances. Libraries also train youngsters in robust technologies like AI, the Internet of Things, augmented and virtual realities, etc. Modern libraries organize programs for their community members under initiatives like Maker-space, where experts from different disciplines encourage people to utilize various resources and tools for innovation, creativity, and hands-on learning. Notable maker-space projects include sewing machines, embroidery work, crafting, laser cutting, and computers with design software.
Almost all libraries worldwide provide information literacy programs aimed at teaching members how to browse and explore library resources and services. They are trained to access academic journals, e-books, magazines, etc. Modern libraries organize community outreach programs to increase access to available resources, promote literacy rates, and support the educational needs of their members. Inter-library loan services are another beneficial aspect of libraries that support the research needs of patrons by facilitating loans of reading materials from other libraries for a specific period. Libraries play a tremendous role in promoting the cultural diversity of communities, supporting members beyond ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, economic backgrounds, and social practices. In short, libraries are the need of the day; without them, no society can grow in the right direction. R. David Lankes, a professor and Director of the South Carolina Library, rightly said, “Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.”
—The writer is Deputy Director of the Library at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (writetoabidhussain@gmail.com)
