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The Internet has given public libraries a chance to revitalize themselves and make themselves more relevant to the communities they serve. The result has been greatly improved offerings in convenience and education.

The biggest breakthrough has been libraries' moving their catalogs on-line. A group of people who previously did not have access to the library due to time restraints now can browse from work or home, place electronic holds, stop by on their way home from work and pick up the books that have been pulled from the shelves for them. This alone has extended library usage greatly and brought a previously alienated group back to the library.

Access to periodicals is another arena where libraries have leveraged the Internet. Libraries have given its constituents access to fee-based on-line databases of periodicals and newspapers. Libraries may in the future be able to arrange for access from the comfort of your home using a library card.

Public libraries are meeting places for purposes of education, solidarity and activism. Libraries teach classes on the Internet and other computer applications, history, art, music, business and finance. Children's rooms are where the love of reading can be discovered at an early age. Libraries use email newsletters to keep the public abreast of the library's events an excellent complement. A logical next step would be to have meetings and lectures broadcast over the Internet in real time, and archived for later viewing.

Finally, libraries provide general Internet access for people who are not able to have the Internet at home. The key mission of public libraries is to level the playing field for people who do not have the money to access information or resources. Libraries have recognized that universal Internet access is key to this mission, and have begun to channel their resources accordingly into more electronic equipment and on-line access.

Looking forward, the nature of the printed material that libraries acquire should evolve as more reference material goes on-line. Libraries need to look at how their print resources can complement on-line resources. They may choose to specialize in certain subjects, engaging in interlibrary loan programs to help fill in the gaps. They may choose to archive local history and arts, keeping the sense of identity intact as we go forward. Perhaps they will acquire more fiction, which so far has proved resistant to efforts to digitize the genre. In any case, the availability of basic research materials on-line gives public libraries a chance to do much more than scratch the surface in their print-based collections.

With the evolution of the Internet, libraries' function as a repository for information and a resource dedicated to public access is as valid as ever, and most libraries are handling the change well. A vigilant eye on the next steps in Internet evolution will help them to maintain their usefulness and benefit to their communities in the future.

Learn more about this author, Hanna Edwards.
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