h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Many people go to libraries when they want to find a quiet place to study, either in books or with their laptops.

Just came across this in David Cannadine's piece on people's hatred of Birmingham, and it seemed relevant. Full article is at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21429358


Across more than 150 years, a great central library
has been an essential feature of Birmingham's
community life, as, indeed, of many other towns
and cities, yet today, public libraries are
threatened from all sides. Central government
doesn't seem to be much interested, local
authorities are compelled to cut funding, and the
IT revolution may portend the end of libraries as
we know them.

But there's another way of looking at this because
as places where the old and new technologies of
knowledge converge, align and complement each
other, that are open and welcoming to people of
all backgrounds and all ages, and that connect the
local and the global, our city libraries remain a
vital asset and indispensable resource, as was
rightly pointed out last weekend during National
Libraries Day.


Geggs