By Charles Compton
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-955552.mp3
Lexington, KY – Despite the rise of the internet and all of the information it provides, librarians argue their mission remains unchanged. They say only a library guarantees free access to information. Still, technology has changed the way libraries do business.
When Ann Hammond wants the time of day, she need only look up. A impressive grandfather clock with shining brasswork stands just across from the librarian's desk. Such a time piece is quite useful at a library like the one in Lexington. Unlike a digital timepiece, Hammond's clock, with its hands on a never ending journey around the clock face, gives her a sense of the past and future.
Hammond- "We want to expand, we want to grow and offer new things, but we don't want to lose our identity in the process."
The founders of the nation's free public libraries hoped to ensure an informed electorate. Hammond says it's her job to guarantee that tradition continues. People who visit the library still find no purchase is necessary. With some taxpayer support, everyone can freely access books, DVDs and computers. Face-to-face and via the internet, reference librarians assist researchers. Besides carrying away hardback and audio books, in Lexington at least, library patrons can also borrow e-books. They're downloaded via the internet to e-readers.
Hammond- "You know, if you think about it though, a book itself is just a piece of technology it's a way to deliver the information. So, now, we've gotten multiple ways of delivering information. We have options for people and I think we're going to see more and more of these different kinds of options."
Technological improvements often help librarians but, high tech is also a burden. For example, before the Lexington library could lend out e-books, it needed to purchase equipment, computer software and the e-books themselves. Patrons of a poorly funded library, like ones often found in rural Kentucky, often find themselves excluded from the information age.
It's also a problem, according to Denise Davis, for big libraries. Davis is the deputy director of the library system in Sacramento, California.
Davis- "It makes for very hard decision making when you have to look at a fairly fixed budget and say Oh, here's this new technology that would really help us serve our customers and we can't get to it because we don't have enough resource to buy it."
Yet, as society's dependence on technology grows, Davis says the need for public libraries also grows. For example, Sacramento Library Director Rivka Sass says many government forms must be submitted via the internet. And, many businesses now tell job seekers they must file their applications on-line. Sass says many folks can only access the internet at their local library.
Sass- "So, we're a partner with businesses in the sense that they get that we have this technology. What they probably don't always understand is that we don't have adequate technology to do that. And, if you're in a community that doesn't have a library and you want to apply for a job because you want to have a better life for yourself, where you going to go?"
As a result, Sass, who was named Librarian of the Year in 2006 by the Library Journal, says their role is evolving. Instead of an ivory tower that stands above its community, Sass says, the library is becoming a gathering place. That's why libraries now encourage families to read together. Libraries sometimes urge entire communities to read the same book, and then share their perceptions of the book. They host town meetings and book clubs.
Sass- "To me that's the whole piece of demonstrating our worth to our communities, and helping people see that we're not just that place where you go and check out a dusty old book that has a coffee stain on it. We're a pretty lively, vibrant place that has something for everybody in the age spectrum."
In the information age, Sass says, new technology offers a tremendous opportunity. It allows libraries to become a physical expression of a community places where people easily swap stories, information and ideas and they do so without a cash register. After all, they are called free public libraries.