My Reflection of Libraries Through the Years

Libraries have always been important to me. I have always been an avid reader, and I never had enough to read. I made trips to the library on a daily basis to get more to read. By fourth grade, I was introduced to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and loved it so much. They did not have Shakespeare at the elementary school library, so I started going to the public library to get more of the brilliant plays.

 In middle school, I started writing short stories. The library was my haven where I could research new things and incorporate them into my stories. I studied space, mythology, magical creatures, and everything I found interesting. The library became my favorite place. I practically lived there through high school and college. There was no place I would rather be. 





When I started to homeschool my son, I introduced him to the joys of reading. The library was where he learned to read. It has become a place my whole family love to visit. So, when he reached high school, and I started to think about what I wanted to do as a career. I thought about teaching since I have been doing it for so long already. When I looked into education, I found it. Library Science and Media. This was perfect for me. Libraries have been such an important part of my life for so long, it felt like it was meant to be. 

 Libraries have changed so much since I was a child. We did not have computers in the library when I was in elementary school. We had the card catalog. I learned the Dewey Decimal System by the time I was in sixth grade. I used it to find the books I needed for my research. 



There was a large reference section that you could not check out. There were encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and pretty much anything you would need to research. The encyclopedias where so vast, they were split into several books. These are what you used to find information to write research papers. There were overhead projectors that the teachers could check out and use in their classes. It was all very low tech compared to today.

 Today, libraries have several computers where students can research information. There is no card catalog, looking up books is done on the computers. DVDs are available to watch on a TV or computer. Now, you can even get electronic books that are read on a reader or a cell phone. Libraries are not as quiet as they used to be. Before, you were to work silently, so you don’t disturb other students. Now, there are many students working together in groups, and the libraries can be a bit noisy. I talked to a librarian recently, and he said that noise was one of the biggest issues with their study zone. 

 In the future, I believe the computers will be smaller, and more portable. There will be less physical books, and areas to access electronic books instead. Students will be able to use their portable computers to do research and find the books the need. More school assignments will be done over the internet, so librarians will need to be fully trained to use all the latest technology. Librarians will still have the responsibility to assist students in finding and using information. The biggest difference will be where they find the information. With all the changes over the years, I can’t wait to see what comes next.