(T.W. van Urk / Shutterstock.com)
For the generations who grew up going to libraries to check out books or do research, the internet has drastically altered the "library experience". Times have changed, and as a response, libraries have changed with them, getting even "smarter" in terms of what they offer to users.
The shh-shhing librarian of once has become a well-trained educator in the realms of everything from 3D printing to robotics. Musty aisles of books have been traded out for fully-equipped makerspaces, outfitted with modern tables boasting sleek computers, printing labs, digital media and manufacturing tools. After the first modern library makerspace appeared about five years ago in the Fayetteville Free Library in upstate New York, countless libraries followed suit, and today’s libraries promote not only higher education, but also DIY workshops, training in the latest technologies, and access to various new tech industries.
All of these shifts to a new library experience offer the public a chance to get in-the-know without breaking the bank, and have attracted various demographics, not otherwise well-versed in the modern technologies currently available. College-age students aren’t the only ones anymore upping their game with the added support of such educational programs and resources. Younger and younger students are also being exposed to the latest inventions, while older demographics, who did not grow up in the internet age, are also drawn to the accessibility and training courses that are available, giving them the opportunities to learn and adapt to current ways of life in a welcoming and resourceful environment.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
At The Library Of Things, You Can Borrow Almost Anything
The Human Library Where You Borrow People Instead of Books
11 of the Most Beautiful Libraries Around the World
