We live in an information age. Technology changed the lives of people in more than many ways. One such change was the way people read books. In my opinion, there are two significant reasons for the shift in paradigm.
Firstly, there has been a change in preference in the mode of reading books, electronic books (e-books) are gaining popularity. E-books can be downloaded on smartphones, tablets and reading devices such as Kindle and Kobo. These small, sleek and user-friendly devices can store millions of e-books on all sorts of topics. Many people read while travelling on trains and buses – devices are very convenient as readers no longer need to carry heavy books.
Secondly, Google was introduced with the advent of the internet. The search engine answers all questions and queries. People find it easy to use, and it is spontaneous. On the other hand, finding the right books in libraries on time can be difficult and reading through pages to find the answer can be time-consuming. This is one of my primary reasons for the library shutdown in many cities.
In my opinion, unfortunately, libraries will keep losing importance. Advances in technology will keep changing our lives, and new devices that make our lives easy will lure us.