The Importance of Reading

Ideally the reading experience should begin from birth. Reading to children while they are still babies forms a parent/child bond - a calming experience. Reading is important for a child's literacy development and opens up a world of knowledge. Reading is a pleasurable pastime which leads one to new information about a particular subject being not only enjoyable but also a learning experience. It introduces a new and richer world, a world of enjoyment, learning, a world of fantasy about a variety of places, things, people, topics and a world of sharing. It increases one's vocabulary, communication skills, confidence, ability to concentrate and a variety of writing styles. Reading improves spelling when seeing the written word. The more people read the more informed they become and the more able to educate themselves further and research new topics.

The ability to read also improves one's comprehension skills necessary in the work force to understand contracts, instructions, manuals, directions, warning signs - the list goes on...

Today one can read books, magazines, journals, newspapers as well as books online, books in Braille and in a vast number of languages. Reading allows one to escape into another world. If I do not have a book to read I feel there is something missing. Reading gives me company, relaxation, entertainment and information. Reading matters for one's personal development.

People read for a variety of reasons as above and including filling in time at airports. The reading experience is very personal because you read according to your needs at the time. You read what interests you. Your tastes are not the same as other people's.

In conclusion reading is an enriching, rewarding experience, be it for pleasure, gaining information or improving one's life skills.

Embracing change

My mind won't stray too far into the future - I'm not into science fiction or fantasy, but change is already taking us outside the Library square. I don't see a library with no books - books are bright, colourful, attractive, informative - "Don't judge a book by its cover" - but isn't that the first appeal? "This looks a good book" - and I don't see myself curling up with a good computer.
The important goals for libraries of the future include reaching out into the community, embracing constant change and with an emphasis on sharing, making libraries the focal point of the community. Putting users together with information requires a technology which will meet the users' needs. In our digital lifestyle we have already MP3s, TV, Laptops, cell phones, cameras, ipods etc. From one of your links I found libraryjournal.com interesting and Web 2.0 features clearly defined. Ann Arbor District Library has turned its homepage into a blog where customers can share their favourite authors, titles, genres, write reviews, create tags and assign ratings. Customers always like to know what others are reading - just see how they browse the returns shelves. Philadelphia uses its blog for "news, events and discussion". Thus library users can participate in the services libraries offer and the way they are used. NSL is already on the way to embracing Web 2.0 and is implementing programmes e.g. information literacy, to encourage and support reading; is committed to providing access to good online resources, with realisable aims and objectives; is continually improving technology resources and access to electronic data e.g. Opacs, public internet computers, and is constantly upskilling staff to meet the challenge. North Shore Libraries is committed to providing space for people to meet. Our user education is resulting in our users issuing their own books, accessing the library website from home, requesting items and searching for information. We reach out into the community with local history and our housebound service. I'm sure we will be a New Age Library.