It is true that one of the most important issues that many people of today’s society are very concerned about is the role of public libraries. The question whether public libraries should only provide books or expand media offerings is a controversial one. In my opinion, an intermediate position can be taken. In this essay, I will give some arguments and present my position.
From one side, those who are in favor of the idea that the main purpose of public libraries is to provide books must have some reasons to support their stand. For one thing, traditionalists argue that the primary mission of public libraries is to promote literacy, education, and a love for reading. Books have been the foundation of libraries for centuries, and they continue to play a crucial role in promoting intellectual development. In addition, books are widely accessible to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. They do not require readers to own some special equipment or technology to satisfy their reading desire, making them available to everyone.
From the other side, there are still people who do not quite advocate this demonstration above and they are also able to come up with arguments to support their position. Firstly, libraries can not have all kinds of books in the world. While unlisted books can be found and read or even listened to on computer media. This makes it easy for people to find books or read books that are not available in the library. Second, in today’s digital age, promoting technological literacy is essential. While blind people can not read, book listening software will be more suitable for them, making it possible for them to “read” their favorite books without being able to see.
In short, there are many ways to look at different sides of a matter and there have also been opposite opinions on this particular topic. However, the idea that public libraries should provide hi-tech media is more likely to be agreed with. It is necessary to make libraries more relevant to diverse needs and interests of patrons.