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poconorecord.com
  • Libraries continue to thrive and grow in Internet age

    I like Pike
  • There is something delicious about searching through shelves of books.
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  • There is something delicious about searching through shelves of books.
    Librarians group books by categories. It's called collocation.
    Say you are looking for a basic book about bears like "Black Bears: A Natural History," by Dave Taylor.
    But on a nearby shelf, you find "Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters" by Dave Smith.
    You weren't looking for it, but now you are going to have to open that book.
    Your life may depend on it.
    That is the type of delightful learning moment that happens in libraries every day.
    Seems there is a new library opening every month.
    A new library branch opened in Moscow in Lackawanna County in June.
    The new Pocono Mountain Public Library opened earlier this month.
    And the newly constructed Pike County Library in Milford should open at the end of August.
    Friends of the Pike Library agreed this week to pay for an e-book service that will allow Pike Library patrons with digital readers, such as iPhone, Nook and Kindle, to download some library content at any hour, from any location.
    This new, instant access to books begs the question: How much longer will brick-and-mortar libraries be relevant?
    Forever, say librarians, because libraries are not just about books anymore.
    "We're a very good information center for the public," said Ellen Schaffner, executive director of the Pike County Library, who was busy Friday talking to contractors about installing Internet wiring in the new Milford library.
    Modern libraries provide free Internet access and librarians help patrons navigate searches.
    As the government reduces paper, more people need secure Internet access to do their taxes or communicate with the Social Security Administration.
    "A lot of people don't have Internet at home," Pocono Mountain Public Library Director Ann Shincovich said. "Librarians, who used to help you use microfilm, now help with computer use."
    The buildings provide public meeting rooms, a place for people who want to get out of their home or simply prefer holding a book in their hand.
    Libraries continue the mission of literacy by providing reading material for people of all ages.
    "We feel no competition between books and electronic devices, just as long as people are reading," Shincovich said.
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