"Libraries are more relevant than ever." This statement is the title of an essay by Luis Herrera, director of the San Francisco Public Library, for the New York Times' "Room for Debate" series.
Herrera's and other essays on the future of libraries were published in December to answer the question, "Do we still need libraries?" Despite many people feeling that we can get everything we need on the Internet, we need libraries more because of the Internet, not less.
This point was stressed by Susan Crawford, another of the writers for this series. She stated that for many minorities, the library may be the only access to the Internet they have for applying for jobs, doing homework, getting information about healthcare and more. She said that almost a third of Americans don't subscribe to Internet access at home, quite often because they can't afford it.