Some individuals contend that providing public libraries free of charge in every town should be done by the government, whereas others think that it would be a waste of money due to the accessibility on the Internet. Although both views hold merit, I agree with the former perspective.
On the one hand, when books are uploaded on the Internet, readers can easily get access to a wide range of materials without travelling. This may save time and the cost of commuting, which reduces environmental pollution. Furthermore, virtual storage allows nearly limited amounts of knowledge to be stored, improving the consistency of information and limiting potential errors that can be caused by printing.
On the other hand, in libraries, there are many genres of books, including rare materials, thereby attracting students’ attention and encouraging people to develop their reading habit. However, these locations require a long distance, limiting the chance of acquiring knowledge. Moreover, readers are usually attracted by interesting books, which give them vast and deep knowledge. More importantly, purchasing these books often requires a considerable amount of money, which many low-income individuals cannot afford. For these reasons, I am convinced that the construction of free public libraries in every town is more necessary.
To summarize, although the Internet offers convenient access to information, it cannot fully replace the value of physical libraries. Investment in free public libraries should be viewed as a long-term solution to readers.