In today’s modern world, many countries incur a huge amount of expenses to maintain their libraries. Whilst certain individuals claim that splurging money on libraries is a waste of resources, others contend the notion that new emerging technologies are capable of being a plausible substitute for libraries. It is my notion that although advancements in technology can furnish readers with the digitalized version of books, it is the environment and preservation of certain ancient books that cannot be replicated by technology.
First and foremost, as we live on the edge of technology, people should be more reluctant to head towards digitalized and more environmentally-friendly options when it comes to reading books in libraries. Now that many breakthrough inventions accomplished in this era, readers can now have access to the rarest readings and books in the world through numerous websites and online libraries. Countries and universities that are spending millions of dollars each year to maintain libraries can basically switch to digitalized solutions, therefore, decreasing the operation expenses and diverting the resulting funds towards other shortcomings of society and students. For example, universities all across the world now closing their libraries and establishing centralized information management servers where readers can freely benefit from the resources available from the comfort of home.
On the contrary side, libraries have always been a cultural centre for many societies, encompassing historical information and artefacts that are worth beyond the monetary valuation. It should be underlined that restoring or keeping these libraries in pristine condition is a challenging work which necessitates well-planned coordination and financial resources. Furthermore, the one thing that is impossible to create in an artificial environment is the ambience in these old libraries where you can almost travel back in time to feel these time periods through the centuries-old buildings and books that have been well taken care of. To exemplify this statement, the Egypt government spends thousands of dollars each year to preserve and maintain the condition of one of the oldest libraries in the world, known as the Library of Alexandria.
In conclusion, despite digitalized libraries being a more economically advantageous and pragmatic solution compared to physical ones, there are some properties such as historical importance.