DEPUTY Chief Librarian Nadine Moore has disclosed that the advent of social media is having a great negative impact on library services.

She said the readership had diminished, less people are visiting to read, but more persons are visiting the library to utilise the Internet service being offered; and likewise, mostly youths are showing interest in areas such as ‘Facebook’.

Moore added that when it comes to social media, library staffers were aware of the informal way of communicating using short words, but young people still need to remember that aspect of the English language which their need to apply in doing school work and assignments, which require the full spelling of words.

She noted that the library was moving towards a round-table approach in addressing the situation, and hopefully the decline in readership would be arrested, since library staffers want to encourage persons to use the library more.

Moore said the Internet is an evolving area of study and technology is part of the library science of today. With the e-book online service, the library is attracting more visitors.

She pointed out that the National Library’s role regarding use of technology and the whole aspect of social media was to encourage persons in information technology literacy as to how to use new technology, and to assist them in every way possible.

As regards the modernisation of the National Library, Moore said the subscription to e-book has been upgraded, as this is an area that attracts more people. Automation of the library catalog has also been upgraded, so persons can access both books and information online.

Moore said the juvenile section has a large readership and membership, as well as a large collection of books. However, it has been discovered that by the time the children advance to the adult department, which is from the age of 13 and further, by the time they are approaching or get into the CXC class, they are engaged in a lot of assignments.

At that stage, many of the youths drop out from the department where books are available for reading, although they would occasionally visit the reference section to do research, she said.

People show a clear preference for the Internet, she explained.

Moore explained that the library has been attracting more adults than those between the ages of 15 and 18, because adults are found doing more research and reading. They are there using the library.

The Deputy Chief Librarian says plans are on stream to ‘jazz’ up the library with extension activities, apart from home work. The library has craft, essay and the champion reader’s competitions, and engage visitors in other activities to attract readership and usage.

Books are provided by the Government as well as through donations, and there are more than 300,000 books stored at the National Library, ranging in topics from general to history.

At the moment, Juvenile membership stands at about 8,296 as at December 2015, while adult membership is at about 14,880. There are 67 employees working at the National Library in Church Street, Georgetown. There are also five outlying branches, with 21 centres and one book mobile unit.

The National Library also has a link for senior citizens from the various homes every last Wednesday of the month.
(moutridge@guyanachronicle.com)

By Michel Outridge