The public library is a true American invention. Perhaps no other place captures the values of freedom of expression and democracy like this venerable institution. Libraries represent what we should never take for granted: the freedom to read, the freedom to choose and the freedom to share our ideas. The library’s mission to provide free and open access to information in all its myriad formats remains constant.
But libraries across
the nation are in a state of transformation. A key issue is the
transition of the publishing industry from print to electronic
materials, especially as the industry grapples with allowing
libraries to buy and circulate e-books to meet the growing demands of
readers.
Libraries are
successfully moving from analog to the digital age by providing
access to a broad range of digital and multimedia tools that will
prepare future generations with 21st-century technology skills.
Across the nation, public libraries are the No. 1 point of online
access for people without Internet at home, school or work. One
hundred percent of public libraries now offer access to the Internet
and 90 percent offer technology training. Libraries are finding
creative ways to address patrons’ technology demands. Several years
ago, San Francisco Public Library began allowing patrons to check out
laptop computers to use in the library. This is now the
highest-circulating item in our system.
Visit a public
library today and you will see a hub of activity. In San Francisco,
our computer labs thrive as drop-in resource centers for job seekers
and small business entrepreneurs. Librarian-led workshops teach basic
computer skills (in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and
Russian) and help avid readers of all ages to download free library
e-books onto tablet computers and other devices.
Libraries are more
relevant than ever. They are a place for personal growth and
reinvention, a place for help in navigating the information age, a
gathering place for civic and cultural engagement and a trusted place
for preserving culture. While the technology for accessing library
materials has changed and will continue to change, our mission – to
inform, to share and to gather – will not.