Traditional libraries preserve book experience in Internet era

New Delhi: Traditional libraries confronted with dwindling patronage and shrinking budgets continue to find their relevance following the `survival of the fittest` theory, believe librarians at leading libraries.

"Ours is one of the oldest libraries in Delhi. I have been employed here for more than 30 years and have witnessed several trends regarding the usage of library. Though the preferences and needs of the visitors have changed over the years but that hasn`t really affected the no of visitors in the library over the years" says Radheshyam, an employee at Delhi Public Library, Chandni Chowk. Many predict that the digital age will wipe public book shelves clean, and permanently end the era of libraries. Librarians too say they are faced with an existential crisis. "Despite the perceived outdated tag attached to the traditional libraries, both libraries and librarians are irreplaceable for many reasons. The role of a library is to create space either as a physical library, an online library or a hybrid model," says Neeti Saxena, Head, India and Sri Lanka, Libraries and Cultural Centres, British Council Library here. "The amazing amount of useful information on the web has, for some, engendered the false assumption everything can be found online. It`s simply not true," says Karan, librarian at Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies. Karan adds " While one might use the internet or a search engine to find these databases, deeper access to them requires registration. You are still online, but you are no longer on the internet. You are in a library." In the digital age internet is effectively pulling students away from the stacks and revealing a wealth of information, especially to one who is equipped with the tools to find it. Though the traditional libraries are not the beginning and ending point of all scholarly research yet that doesn`t establish that students have started ignoring libraries as effective mediums for research. PTI