Maintaining public libraries

It is often argued that maintaining public libraries is no longer necessary in today’s world because the development of computer technology has allowed us to access a great deal of information on the internet more efficiently. While I accept that there are clear benefits of online libraries over public libraries, I believe that it is still worth spending money on maintaining public libraries.

There are two main advantages of online sources of information. Firstly, online sources can store a huge amount of information that is greater than any physical library. This allows researchers to easily get the information they need without having to travel to a local library. Furthermore, people can look for information on the Internet whenever they want, while most libraries can only be visited during several hours per day. This is therefore particularly  beneficial to those who have a hectic schedule and cannot visit these places during the operating hours.

However, the preservation of local libraries is still necessary because of their distinguishing features which cannot be substituted by online sources. Libraries, in some countries, are still one of the most popular means of accessing information among senior citizens, regardless of the availability of online
information. In fact, most elderly people these days are technophobes and therefore physical libraries are their preferred option. Furthermore, public libraries can be considered a more reliable source of information, compared with online sources. Indeed, there is an abundance of inaccurate and  unreliable information on the Internet, while libraries have proved to be a more reliable information source, with the information being carefully categorized by library staff members.

In conclusion, despite the benefits of computer technology in providing information, in my opinion, there are good grounds for rejecting the view that spending money on maintaining public libraries is unnecessary. (296 words)

Vocabulary

• To store a huge amount of information:
  
• A hectic schedule
  
• Means of accessing information
  
• Senior citizens
  
• The availability of something
  
• Technophobes
  
• Reliable source of information
  
• An abundance of inaccurate and unreliable information on the Internet