Some may say that this does not need to be reported on, others will agree with me. As we move deeper into the digital age, some want to destroy all written materiel. This would include books, pamphlets, encyclopedias, scrolls and thousands of other items where the written word has been captured. Books that were written for schools 5 or 25 years ago are already tossed into the volcano of ignorance, never to be seen or touched again. New ones with 'updated' material are issued. But there will be a day where ALL written materiel will be burned or as I like to say, tossed into the volcano of ignorance.
There is a danger with doing this and moving 100% into the digital age. Items that are in digital format can be changed anytime. They can be wiped off the face of the earth in a catastrophic event as a Electo Magnetic Pulse (EMP). Thus destroying thousands of years of research and information. There will be some who argue that this will never happen. Ok, how good is your computer if there is no electricity and you didn't think ahead and buy a solar recharging unit for your laptop? What if there were no Internet anymore, due to war or someone turning it off to the populace as some dictators always do ? Where will you turn to find that great recipe when the book and electronic media are gone forever ?
Today I read an article here about some library in Virginia. Excuse me, the reason Libraries exist is to keep books and information on the shelf for people to gather in a place of solitude to study, research or get shushed by a librarian (of which I can say I lost count on that one myself). But if Libraries are removing the books, then the libraries are ultimately causing their own demise! Our future children will never know the meaning of folding over a page in a book, smelling a book new in print or the aroma of old books slowly decaying. The Digital age IS needed. But we can only build it upon the past and KEEP the past to enjoy and fall back onto!
If we throw away the books, can we trust that electronic media that is being fed to us ? Are the local Libraries and ultimately the Library of Congress going to go away? Will we lose our heritage ?Our written word ?
This concerns me deeply. I agree that being able to look up information, search for items quickly (unless you use the Lowes.com site that can't even find the word "lowes") is important. But there is nothing as sweet as a book, held in your hands, referred back to periodically or sitting on your shelf after being read. I have a library myself and I continuously go back and refer to different items in the books. Why? They are for knowledge and learning. Guess that's why they have become reference books, eh?
We need our books, we need the written word. Otherwise, we will be lost without it in future generations. To control the written word is something that all Dictators want to do. Refer back in history to Hitler burning of the books as one example.
Now go get a paper cut and enjoy a good book!
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