Internet can't be substitute for books!

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 31: Has the visit to libraries by bookworms fallen in this cyber age? The records of District Library, Guwahati do make a case study in this regard.

In this cyber age, the internet has made almost everything available just a click of computer’s key away. One may get almost everything with the use of his/her persol computer with internet connectivity. In such a situation there are many who feel that the practice of publication of hard copies of books is redundant nowadays as such books are also made available online. With the advancement of technology, there is nothing unusual for people to think this way. However, when reality checks are done, the findings say something different.

A reality check on this highly debatable issue is done with the records of District Library, Guwahati. The District Library at Guwahati was established in 1955 with books of four different languages – English, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese. With such a humble start, now the library has a collection of as many as 44,980 different books. And what makes one to raise ones eyebrows is even in this cyber, 70-80 bookworms do visit the library daily. The reasons may be different. One of the visible reasons is the serene ambience in the library. One may sit before ones persol computer or in a café. Viewing the computer screen for longer hours is not an easy task. One may continue this for some time, but sooner or later one feels the impact of such a habit.

Reading the hard copy of a book in a peaceful atmosphere itself creates the ambience for one to get deep into the subject matter one is hankering after. This may not be always possible while reading something online. Be that what it may, making books available in the Internet cannot be substitute for hard copies of books.