Curl up to the computer with your child at bedtime?Well, I hope that in 20 years or so, there will be cheap and light computer pads into which one could download books. That would be much easier to curl up with than a heavy awkward book.
Even before the pad exists, libraries need to change how they operate. The reference needs of a library have become all but obsolete. For example, I've noticed this in my professional life. I am a tax accountant. I spend probably 5-10% of my time on legal research. A decade ago, I would find myself at the U of M law library every few months, to use materials that I didn't have at the office. Because of the advent of much cheaper electronic research discs and the internet, I haven't been to that library for many years. I wonder why we even need law libraries these days. Until we have cheap computer pads and most books have been digitalized, we will need libraries to hold books. But that's what libraries should see themselves as: warehouses to hold and dispense books. My impression is that they've gone well beyond those functions. Admittedly, I haven't been to a public library for a few years, so I don't know how they might have changed recently. So I'd like to hear from others if I'm wrong about my impression that libraries are expanding their functions beyond books. Mark Anderson Bancroft Neighborhood ----- Original Message ----- From: Betty Tisel To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 2:55 AM Subject: [Mpls] Curl up to the computer with your child at bedtime? Hello List folks, There will always be a need and place for libraries as long as there are children. We check out about 100 children's books each month at Washburn, Hosmer, Linden Hills, Central, and sometimes Southdale libraries. We mostly read with our kids at bedtime. We limit our kids' use of computers (someone should do a better job of limiting my use!). We also buy a lot of books but we check out and read far, far, far more from Minneapolis libraries. Libraries are about more than "Information" they are also about IMAGINATION. Betty Tisel Kingfield Mourning Paul Wellstone And saying, "WE CAN STOP THIS WAR" =============================================== _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
