The main purpose of public libraries is to provide books, and they should not waste their limited resources and space on providing expensive hi-tech media such as computer software, videos and DVDs. Discuss both views with example.

The 20th century has come along with numerous developments

such

as the digitization, IT revolution and the

internet

, and these phenomena have upgraded the educational support system

such

as libraries. Traditionally, the libraries used to keep the books, but now due to lightening-fast

internet

services modern libraries have more multimedia resources namely, CDs, DVDs and computers. Some critics assert that books should be the primary source of knowledge in the libraries, whereas the others believe that they should be equipped with laptops and computer devices. The essay will discuss both these aspects followed by a conclusion. The most compulsive reason for enhancing the libraries with the multi-media resources is that the space occupied by them is very less as compared to books.

In other words

, a single computer or laptop can store the contents of all books in the form digital information;

consequently

, the operational cost will be lower. The public library of Delhi,

for instance

, drastically lowered its cost of operation by swapping

one

rack of books by laptops with

internet

connection,

in addition

to

this

the number of visitors doubled in a month.

Furthermore

, as the books become older they start to catch the moisture and dust, thereby the content becomes difficult to read, whereas the digital content on the hard drives of desktops is safe for a lifetime.

On the other hand

, since the modern concept of libraries came in the

last

few decades,

therefore

the laptops or desktops cannot be used by older age groups as proficiently as by the younger generations.

For example

, the public library of Chennai as an experiment closed the books section for a month and opened a free

internet

section. They found that the number of people with age group greater than forty decreased by 90%, while the number teenagers doubled within that month.

Moreover

, excessive use of mobile phones or laptops for activities like games or studies has an adverse effect on the eyesight, so the book as a medium to study is still a crucial component of

one

's academic life. To conclude,

one

must adopt the most suitable way to study depending upon his requirement. The digital transformation can help the quick and easy access to the latest developments around the globe. So,

one

must adopt new methods to gain access to upcoming research.