Word on the street is that libraries are heading the way of the dinosaurs. Budgets are tight, memberships are down, and who needs books when you've got Wikipedia, anyways?

But you can't listen to the haters.

 

Some libraries are basically national landmarks. They aren't going away anytime soon. (Source)

Libraries have been around for a long, long time, and we're pretty sure they've always been short on funds. Even the librarians at the Library of Alexandria probably had people saying, "Why should my tax money fund this place? The vast majority of the population is illiterate, and who needs papyrus scrolls when you've got soothsayers, anyways?"

People will always want to know stuff, and libraries will always be around to help them do it. They're just going to change the way they operate. They've already proven that they can adapt to modern times by replacing manual card catalogues with digital ones, installing WiFi, and providing laptops and e-readers alongside books and magazines. 

They also provide their communities with a safe, quiet place that encourages reading, learning, and using inside voices. Sometimes you just need a quiet place where you can finish your vampire romance novel in peace.

The librarians of the future are extremely tech-savvy, alongside being good at finding answers and interacting with people. If you're as good at using an iPad as you are at rocking a cardigan and some funky earrings, you should be set for twenty years of shushing and shelving, no problem.

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