It's great to read that libraries still have a place in a society that's bursting at the seams with digital technology and media. I was curious to read how they are faring because once upon a time they were a place where we went to research and take out books, but now that we have Google and Amazon...
My childhood centered around these quiet, peaceful buildings. A place to go for sanctuary and inspiration. Between the ages of four and sixteen, I was always in a library whether my local one or the school one, taking out music and books and researching. I used to have ten books on the go regularly and devoured them like I devour food. By age ten I was reading Lord of the Rings. By age eleven I was reading about terrorists, nuclear weapons, the ozone layer and greenhouse gases (I hit my teens "green" and passionately opposed to any kind of injustice). And by age twelve I was reading some of the best stories I've ever read, stories which have stayed with me up till now (thanks Judy Blume).
Libraries still have their place because:
1) Local authors use their local libraries to launch their career and promote their work
2) They buy in books with the aim of building the book market and introducing people to new authors
3) They've moved with the times and now lend eBooks
4) Statistics from various reports show that people often buy more books from the authors they were introduced to at their local library
5) And not forgetting, they develop and support literacy!
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