The more you know. A slogan made popular by the many commercials played and seen on the television network NBC. These advertisements use celebrities and well known figures to promote, encourage, and highlight the importance of knowledge and education. Stressing an idea that the more you know, the better off you will be. The more you know, the more successful you will be. The more you know, the powerful you will be. It is the fundamental idea that knowledge is power. An idea that is prevalent throughout our society and how it is structured. There are organized mandatory school systems at a young age, leading to for some, access into elite universities and academic institutions, and with the ultimate goal of landing a high paying and prestigious job. Getting this high annual income buys food, clothing, shelter, toys, comfort, ease of mind, status, and control. Essentially, knowledge is power. Now with this idea of knowledge and power established, I call attention to an institution of knowledge that in recent years has been slowly dying. It has been a foundation of education and academic guidance throughout history, and now, because of the surge of technology is being overlooked. The Library, with its thousands of books, millions of pages, and infinite amount of knowledge, it still is struggling to compete with the constantly progressing technology of tomorrow.

Information at your fingertips, a slogan that is now associated with computers, GPS systems, internet, and iphones. Our physical world is rapidly turning into a digital world, and I will be the first to admit that the benefits and conveniences brought on by recent technological advancements are immeasurable. The fact that one can find out movie times, learn recipes, see pictures of relatives from around the world, read books, get directions, etc. by simply clicking a button still amazes me. There is no denying technologies positive effect on mankind’s quality of life. But, just because there is a new form of accessing knowledge, doesn’t necessarily make all old forms obsolete. In fact, old forms of acquiring knowledge can sometimes be incorporated into new forms to create a best of both worlds. Because all things have their flaws, it is in combining the positives from both sides and creating a happy medium can we reach optimum efficiency. For example, acquiring information through computers and the internet provide for a fast and convenient way to reach knowledge. But, because the internet is unregulated in terms of the validity of information, the knowledge one might acquire may have no merit to it at all. On the other hand, though libraries offer a countless number of credited and cited sources, locating them can be quite daunting and overwhelming. So, it is in combining these two worlds will we find the best solution, and more importantly, in applying both methods neither become obsolete and forgotten. To find an actual example of the compatibility of advancing technology and existing library methods I went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Sinclair Library to see for myself. I met with Dave Bowman, a Library Technician and Student Supervisor at Sinclair and asked him a few questions. Dave has been working at Sinclair for 2 years now and when questioned about growing technology and its relation with today’s library system he replied that it “has affected our existing collection of media significantly.” Dave went on to explain to me that Libraries are evolving along with technology, for example, that “the bound academic journals on the second floor are now being converted into a digital database”, allowing a fast and efficient means of locating valid and credited sources of information. Once combining the established and credited sources of knowledge found in the library, with the efficient technology of today, UH Manoa reached a collaborative medium that is beneficial to all its students. Now when I asked Dave in light of the progressively growing technological world we live in today, is there still a real need for libraries? He replied “Yes. Though much more information is available to people today compared to the past. The skill and knowledge of finding the right information and citations are found here at the library.”

Students need to realize that though a lot of knowledge is available through the internet, sometimes that knowledge has no merit and is incorrect. Your library is a sanctuary of knowledge, a place where information is held and acquired. Within the countless volumes and endless pages is a vast artillery of power, you just simply need to go and equip yourself.

Rainbow Connection Staff Writer