For the past twelve years, town library management have complained that space in the library is greatly limited; there is no proper storage for DVDs and CDs; a new library should be built regardless of cost to ratepayers.
I agree the library is overcrowded – with computers. Appropriate reading space has been taken away by reducing the number of reading tables. However, I do not in any way agree that building a new library is the answer to these problems: libraries are enormously expensive to build, especially for our financially-strapped council (thanks to our previous investment in Lehman Bros).
But stay! The gods of the Digital Age are here to show us the way out of the library’s dilemma! On page 3 of “The Australian” newspaper, Wednesday, May 30, there is a photograph of the new digital library at Henley High School, Adelaide. The room features rows of empty metal shelves – not a single book in sight – with three students using laptops to obtain information for homework and class lessons. (Note: not a single table anywhere.) The school donated its 10,000 shelved books to – guess – the local library. So Henley High students have no more books! No more paper! No more writing! No more note-taking! Our own Town Library could learn from this: get rid of all the books and magazines (donate them to charities and hospitals) and provide laptops for those wishing to visit the library.
A digital library at last! Heaps more space, no need to build a new library! Henley High School leads the way!
Dr Paul Fidlon,
Armidale
