In recent years, a debate regarding
libraries
emerged.
In particular
, some people argue that nowadays maintaining them is a useless public expenditure, because the web can give access to all the information in the world,
while
others argue that every city should have one, open for free to the public. In my opinion, the second view is the correct one, since
libraries
are more than a place where books can be borrowed. In
this
essay, a brief explanation of the matter will be given.
It is undoubtedly true that every piece of information published can be now found online,
thus
making the internet more efficient than
libraries
. In fact, a centralized system, containing almost all the volumes now present in public spaces,s could be developed, giving to population immediate access to all the books in the system,
whereas
libraries
are limited by their storage capacity.
Furthermore
, the only expenses for online systems, are a server and some technicians for maintenance,
whereas
libraries
need human resources and utilities and occupy a great amount of land, which is becoming more and more fundamental, especially in major cities. Given all these arguments, it is not entirely inaccurate to advocate for an online system.
On the other hand
, it should be noted that
libraries
are much more than a place where books can be borrowed.
For instance
, many people utilize them to find a quiet place to read, or as a first approach for children to study.
For example
, in Italy, there are spaces specifically meant for children, where reading and playing come together.
Moreover
, some rare hand scripts cannot be scanned and uploaded on the net and, for
this
, scholars who need them should go to local
libraries
for a consult.
Finally
, many students use these places to find a quiet spot for studying, which can develop into some form of social aggregation, during the study pauses.
In conclusion, I think that
libraries
are not a waste of money, and actually are very important in a town's life. As stated above, they not only have a cultural role but
also
a social one,
hence
, under no circumstances, they are comparable to the internet. For all these reasons, every city should have its own library and it should be open to the public for free, becoming a cultural and social hub for the population.