Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
theguardian.com
Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
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Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#2Whats so great about libraries? Seems like a very inefficient way to store/disseminate information in 2018
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#3Whats so great about libraries? Seems like a very inefficient way to store/disseminate information in 2018
Seems like an article from a paper romanticist, and they aren't extinct yet. Anyhow, here in Finland the libraries are not just for paper-based information storage/dispersion, but common places for all kinds of public information/technology needs, like (3D) printing, copying or digitizing material into modern formats, and free guided computing needs for poor or old people. They're also public gathering places, including their conference rooms you can lend, which is also nice for startups without their own offices and such. In any case, they'll have uses far beyond the age of paper-based media, including uses we can't fathom yet.
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#4Well, library budget cuts are not unheard of in Finland either. The biggest cuts occurred in the big depression that hit the country in the early 1990s, and spending has never reached the same levels again. That said it's easy to believe that libraries are still better than in many other countries. They remain free, where others have introduced fees for the library card or for computer usage.
A bit of background: Finnish is a small language with only 5 millions speakers. So books cost 2-3 times as much as in central Europe, although the currency is the same (Euro). That might be an additional factor for the high number of loans.
The observation that libraries are a place to socialize sounds strange to me. Except in the cafeteria, which exist only in the very biggest libraries, conversations are not allowed. So yes, libraries can he full of people when it's dark and cold out there. But it's perfectly silent.
(I live in Finland)
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#5Whats so great about libraries? Seems like a very inefficient way to store/disseminate information in 2018
shithnsays
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#6Whats so great about libraries? Seems like a very inefficient way to store/disseminate information in 2018
Yes, Facebook is a more efficient way to spread especially false information.
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#7Whats so great about libraries? Seems like a very inefficient way to store/disseminate information in 2018
Yes, Facebook is a more efficient way to spread especially false information.
The exact same books are available electronically nowadays, and are likely to be more up to date than a paper version. Building a library won't make anyone stop reading facebook drivel.
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, Facebook is a more efficient way to spread especially false information.
The exact same books are available electronically nowadays, and are likely to be more up to date than a paper version. Building a library won't make anyone stop reading facebook drivel.
The copyright compensation on electronic books is different from paper based ones. The super greedy licensing deals (where even available) is one of the things that hold back electronic books; they're simply much more expensive than paper-based ones. The Finnish libraries do have e-books, but they're not as common to loan as paper ones are, and not everything is available in e-book format.
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#9Visit any library in Helsinki at any time and you'll discover that there are more librarians than customers. And there lies the problem, those hundreds of useless people have considerable political power, so they now try to "develop" this now worthless institution to something else.
Re: Finland's cities are havens for library lovers
#10Well, library budget cuts are not unheard of in Finland either. The biggest cuts occurred in the big depression that hit the country in the early 1990s, and spending has never reached the same levels again. That said it's easy to believe that libraries are still better than in many other countries. They remain free, where others have introduced fees for the library card or for computer usage. A bit of background: Fin…
It really depends on the design of the library in question. In iso omena the new library is very open and integrated with social/welfare services so some noise is expected. The library host a wide range of things of public interest such as instrument rooms, conference rooms(free for individuals), vr rooms, pc's for gaming, 3d printing and probably more I'm not aware of. I've noticed a lot of school aged kids just hanging out and socializing in the library. If you really need a quiet space to focus then there is a special study room where noise is not allowed.