BiblioTech

As the lady said, you don’t have to come back to the library again. That’s how they’re pitching this place. Basically this is a computer lab. Yes, they have a child learning center where kids can play with some of the tech. Yes, there is a lounge area for people to read. But, again, why would people come to read when they could do it from the comfort of their own homes.

The library—and I use that term generously—is located in one of the impoverished neighborhoods in San Antonio. If you’re wondering why the computers and shiny new tech hasn’t been stolen, it’s because the library shares a building with a county office. There’s a slew of cop cars on the side to deter potential crime and there is an armed guard inside.

Something interesting was brought up when my sisters and I went to this place. One, Alicia told me that I shouldn’t have filmed it because it made the people uncomfortable. This is probably true, but they could have told me that they wanted me to stop, and considering their position of authority I would have complied. In all fairness, I “tried” to blur out their faces, but YouTube editor isn’t the most efficient software, but it’s free.

So this brings me to the second thing. No one stopped me from filming. I was looking back at the footage, and realized how creepy it was that I basically walked into the Children’s Room filming and nobody stopped me. (Obviously I cut that part out.) If you look at the footage, the guard saw what I was doing, the librarians saw what I was doing, but nobody said anything. Not that I was looking for confrontation. I sometimes act without thinking, and I know it’s going to get me into trouble one day.

Back to the “library.”

As someone who is going for a Masters of Library and Information Science, I’ve read plenty of articles on the digital library. Cushla Kapitzke wrote an article on information literacy and how technology is changing the library into a cybrary. It’s an interesting piece covering the history of the library and explains why librarians are still needed even if the actual buildings are not.

Personally, I don’t see the digital library usurping the traditional library. A library has always been a place of learning and knowledge. I understand that technology has a way of granting people more and faster access to information, but can’t there be a balance? There is a particular aura in a traditional library where people can study, read, work, and be entertained. BiblioTech was missing this atmosphere because it was no more than a computer lab. A computer lab that doesn’t even bother encouraging its patrons to return.

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In an attempt to dispel the gloominess caused by BiblioTech, I present to you Mr. Sulu.