Libraries attempt to woo younger generations with digital features

Originally Posted by TFA

But admit it – looking for pictures via microfiche is so much cooler than typing a word into a bar and mindlessly tapping ‘Search’ — like I just did for the above image.

Originally Posted by RTV71

I like what some libraries are doing - getting rid of some books and opening up meeting areas for clubs.

Originally Posted by Whappo

Most libraries I visit have some sort of meeting room available. What I find sad is most now have security officers patrolling the stacks when school lets out and students flock to the library like it's a rec center and the ubiquitous use of cell phones. Even more discouraging is this trend, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/bu...ries.html?_r=1.

Originally Posted by this

A final ‘external’ benefit from more equal access to education is its impact on the nation’s productivity potential (output per hour). The existence of unequal education opportunities is a sign that the economy is under-performing. Reducing these inequalities allows intelligent, well-motivated people to more closely realise their education and employment potential, lowers the incidence of crime, decreases the need for health care and welfare and delivers a more resilient and innovative economy7.

Originally Posted by this

First, wider education access enhances the political health of the nation: voters are better able to participate in social, community and political life and make intelligent, balanced choices. It also minimises the risk of excessive concentration of political power.
Second, wider access to education can reduce social tensions arising from perceived inequalities of opportunity. Even people who tell pollsters they are prepared to live with wide inequalities of outcome strongly believe that people of equal ability should be given an equal chance to succeed at school and in employment - irrespective of parental wealth, status and power2. Ordinary citizens are seeing a widening gap in median earnings between those completing at least high school and those with less than a high-school education (e.g. in USA from 19% in 1979 to 42% now)3. They are being told that the trend is driven by technological change, which has become more skill-intensive (requiring more educated people) and raised the productivity of high skilled workers more than low-skilled workers - and by shifts in patterns of demand, stemming in particular from international trade liberalisation and outsourcing of services, which have favoured economic activities that require post-school training. And they may understand all that. But they will still resent the growing premium paid by employers for education qualifications if they felt that access to education was unequal.
A third reason for governments to encourage wider access to education is that it can improve the efficiency of the labour market and employment participation rates. Globalisation and rapid technological change require a reasonably mobile and flexible labour supply. This is less likely to happen if education choices are constrained by financial considerations or structural market failures. With the prospect of an ageing population and increasing dependency ratio, all developed countries are looking to improve employment participation among people who are currently unemployed, under-employed or on the margins of the workforce – mainly early school leavers or people with disabilities. And research studies are showing that government initiatives to improve transitions from school and adult learning outcomes can yield big gains in workforce participation and hence higher incomes per capita4 and that completing year 12 in Australia can greatly reduce the risk of unemployment5.

Originally Posted by debro

Slow, tedious, cumbersome.