The Importance of Libraries in Our Modern World

Erva Coskun - 10th Grade Student

Last March, the school board voted to eliminate all six librarian positions within the East Side Union High School District. This decision came after the immense reduction of our school library- from shelves upon shelves of books to merely a couple columns (the books sentenced to life in storage, though a hard-to-access catalog is still available) , and the decreasing employment of our librarians to only twice, then once a week. Under the excuse of cost cutting, the board finally decided to eliminate the position completely. Currently, the future of our libraries are unknown. So why are libraries important anyways?

Many would argue that in our modern world of e-books and instantly accessible information, libraries are rendered null. Yet, this is simply not true. They have served as a place of learning and gathering since the dawn of civilization, and libraries still are an important cornerstone in our school community and beyond, serving as one of the few public amenities provided by our government. 

Libraries serve as a study space and gathering hall for students to collaborate on projects, silently read, or do preparatory work for upcoming exams. While in our school, the TLC covers this function of a library, especially as it replaced our former library, in others, a TLC is not to be found, and a library is the only place for students to work in peace. 

Libraries also help those who can’t afford to, or don’t want to spend a lot of money on books, providing a space for readers to check out books, videos, magazines, and even seeds- all completely for free. And though some would say that a physical library is not needed in a time where the internet can serve as a catalogue, an online catalogue does not provide a helpful librarian to locate an old book, or the novelty of strolling through the shelves to find new ones. 

Therefore while libraries should continue to evolve to accommodate for changing needs with computers, e-books, and flexible spacing, they, and our librarians, shouldn’t be eliminated completely. 

While there is still hope for all book-lovers, as public libraries remain open, we have to wonder: If our school libraries can close, what’s next? When will our public libraries’ times come to an end? And then other essential public amenities? We can only speak out and defend our rights to the information and refuge that libraries provide, for if we, the next generation, don’t- who will?