The main purpose of public libraries is to provide books and they shouldn’t waste their limited resources and space on providing expensive hi-tech media such as computer software, videos and DVDs. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Although it is true that the primary objective of public libraries is to maintain a wide collection of books from numerous genre. However, in my opinion, in today’s technologically advanced times, it is also essential for them to upgrade themselves with the fast moving time and provide cutting-edge means of sharing information in the form of soft-media, audio, and videos. On the one hand, there are few reasons behind people suggesting traditional libraries to avoid using technology. Technology, firstly, is expensive and require huge initial investments to get it set up, and not all libraries can afford such a big scale of investment. Therefore, they tend to focus on maintaining existing assets rather than moving towards fancy technology. Secondly, these people also think that having the latest hi-tech media might deviate the society from the actual purpose of the libraries. In their opinion, if libraries cater to various entertainment media like video and audios, then the primary purpose of a library would be killed and people would consider them as a means of entertainment only rather than for the sake of learning. The people’s reasoning stated above are understandable but obviously mistaken, as technology, on the other hand, has enormous potential to have a positive influence on the way the information is shared. For instance, the latest devices such as DVD, CD and USB drives can store a huge collection of the entire library resources on a single device of less than 12-centimeter size. Furthermore, the technology allows the content to be presented in a plethora of interesting forms such as video documentaries, movies, speeches etc. as a result, people can enjoy and learn at the same time. Consequently, more and more people will get attracted towards them. Coming to the make point related to financial investment, it is undeniable fact that the initial cost of investment is big, however, the return of investment is much greater than the initial investment, as once set up, the technology has proven to be reliable and durable and can last for at least a couple of decades. For the reasons mentioned above, it can be concluded that the traditional libraries are obsolete and outdated. Therefore, enabling them with the advanced technology must be encouraged and should be considered as a positive development.