The Purpose Of Libraries Nowadays

In today's society, people often associate libraries with words such as “boring”, “dull” “unnecessary”. They often think, “Why bother visiting the library when there is Google, right?” Instantly at our fingertips, Google is a time efficient research tool, while on the other hand, one has to put in more effort to visit the library. However, these people are only looking at libraries through their own perspective and not thinking about how they play a major role in their community. Libraries are crucial in helping underprivileged individuals, providing diverse language resources and preserving cultural heritage.

As the saying goes, “Knowledge is priceless”, the libraries in Canada offer accessible, educational materials for every member in a community, including the less fortunate. At a library, one’s income is irrelevant as every resource, including internet access, books and various programs, are completely free. In modern day, the use of technology goes hand in hand with what is taught in school, so internet access is extremely useful for anyone that may not have enough money to afford a computer at home.

Also, libraries offer homework help, tutoring and summer reading program to students, which helps eliminate the economic divide that impacts students’ academic performance. Many students do not have the luxury of a tutor if they are struggling in school, thus making libraries the best place to go to for after-school help. Certain academic books may be expensive and libraries allow students to access high-quality information that will allow them to succeed without any cost. Not to forget the librarians, who make a relentless effort to assist students and answer questions from everyone that walks in. They answer questions about book recommendations for school projects and research and job applications and resume writing and paperwork, which are all critical to being successful in one’s academic career. A library is a place where all members of a community have access to the multiple resources it offers without placing any significance on an individual's wealth and social class. One of the exceptional things about Canada is its diversity and multiculturalism.

As the nation continues to grow, it is beneficial for communities to have a place where various linguistic resources are available to the public. People from all over the world come to Canada seeking a better life and opportunities for them and their families, and often times English is not their first language. In order to adjust to the new environment, libraries provide a variety of opportunities for English learners to immerse themselves in the new language, whether it is through books, programs, online resources or audiobooks. Countless libraries have free language classes, which is especially convenient as normally, you would have to pay. Not only that, but they also provide multilingual books for both adults and children alike. These books are aimed to help English learners master the language in an entertaining, engaging and enjoyable way. In addition, libraries contain a vast selection of non-English books to create an inclusive environment, respecting everyone's cultural differences to bring them together. Regardless of where one may come from, libraries offer many opportunities that assist members to flourish in their community.

The archives in a library preserve historical artifacts, papers and most of all, cultural heritage. As the internet becomes more accessible to all, there are a lot of misleading websites that can lead to one believing false information. One is assured that in a library, countless trustworthy sources are available rather than the few reliable websites hidden beneath pages of mass search results. In a community, it is important to have libraries as they are rich repositories full of accurate, unbiased historical collections, many which are not available on the internet.

For instance, an archive is a perfect place to do research on various topics such as cultural backgrounds, immigration history and genealogy, due to the validity of the sources. Not only that but as technology becomes more prevalent, a lot of writings are strictly digital and they will most likely never be in print format. This results in these cultural works becoming prone to being lost in the infinite databases of the internet, never to be found by the curious minds of future generations. Therefore, libraries serve the purpose of maintaining the historical truth of a variety of ethnic cultures by providing relevant and factual information.