I just came in from shoveling snow. Mother Nature is playing some odd tricks on folks in my neck of the woods this month… two weeks ago we had a major snow storm, last week the temperature rose to mid fifties and all the snow melted, today winter returned and the driveway needs to be shoveled again.
I enjoy shoveling snow. The snow is quiet; the task at hand is rhythmic, the opportunity to be outside is invigorating. It can be a great time to think, to ponder, to contemplate. Tonight as I shoveled the driveway, I found myself thinking about something I learned years ago in Library school, Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science. You remember the laws:
- Books are for use
- Every reader his or her book
- Every book its reader
- Save the time of the reader
- A library is a growing organism.
Here’s what I found myself pondering… has the increased use of technology in our libraries impacted these five laws? If so, how? I invite you to find your own patch of snow to shovel and take time to ponder this question. What do you think?