STATEMENT:

With the development of information technology, the use of gadgets such as smart phones,
tablets, netbooks, notebooks and its use in recent years has transformed the way we live,
communicate and do things.
As a librarian who works in e-learning company, justify in report form below statement.
Libraries should provide more books rather than invest in new technology such as e-book and
e-journals.
MAIN POINTS:
A. Libraries should invest in books
1. Not all books are available on digital format which means some specialised booksare
still in paper form.
2. Paper books are not easily lost unlike e-books which can be deleted accidentally or
malfunction. Paper books are more reliable.
3. Libraries should responsible for keeping paper books as one day the internet may not
exist. It is a known fact that paper books are the only reliable and safe source of
information.
4. Paper books help people focus and concentrate. They are not easily distracted. Rading
online tempts people to search for new books, visit websites and look up links rather
than focus on the book they are reading.
5. Children should be given paper books to read rather than allowing them to read online
which pens them up to uncensored sites.
6. Seeing a shelf full of books and topics is inspiring and stimulates the imagination.
B. Libraries should invest in technology
1. Technologies, such as e-book, allow the same information to be stored in a fraction of
the space. This is more cost effective than paper books because they need more
storage space.
2. Computers allow users to locate information more quickly, providing better customer
service.
3. Looking for and using books online is user friendly. This means people dont need to
leave their seat in order to find one or more books they want.
4. Technology is the way forward for all companies and services.
5. Providing more technology makes more services available as people can access the
internet for more information than that provided solely by the library.

INTRODUCTION
The printed books have been around for two thousands of years since the Chinese
first invented paper that was made of mostly from linen and straw. The paper industry
relies heavily now on trees for its product, and it was reported that primary forest area
was reduced globally by 60,000 square kilometres per year, about the size of Ireland.
The paper industry and other non-lumber products

consumed 1.6 billion trees, or 300

million tons of paper each year or 43 percent of the total tree consumption globally.
E-books that do not use paper are emerging from an almost zero ten years ago, to
todays total sales of $969.9 million US$ in 2011 and has grasped 16.55% of the total sales of
books.
And today, with the development of information technology, the use of gadgets such as
smart phones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks and its use in recent years has transformed the
way we live, communicate and do things.
As far as the information technology today is concerned, the emergence of e-books,
actually, is challenging the traditional way of publishing and reading, the academic research
in this area is still quite limited due to this emerging nature of e-books. Information
technology has transformed the whole world into a global village with a global economy,
which is increasingly dependent on the creative management and distribution of information.
Over the past decades the world has been experiencing significant changes in which the need
to acquire, utilize and share knowledge has become increasingly essential.
Now, in the 21st century, the age of knowledge and information is in its higher gear. This
is an age when invisible knowledge and information take the role of prime movers leading all
sector. It is an undeniable metaphor Knowledge is development means lack of knowledge
is largely responsible for underdevelopment. In a knowledge and information-oriented
society, creative brains become leaders of economy and knowledgeable workers are in great
demand. Thus, knowledge can be equated with development, then the wider the knowledge
gap, the broader the development gap.

BODY:

Therefore, libraries as centres of society knowledge and information have to regain its
power and strength to regulate and mould the society and catching up with high technology is
now a must. The response to the statement in the question is my justification that is I choose
to disagree on it with several arguments.
As far as the statement in the question is concerned, regarding which investment is best to
be made. The question whether libraries should make investment on paper books or
electronic books, or well known as e-books or any other sources of reading in digital forms, is
actually, more likely answerable with the advantages and the disadvantages both own, apart
from the characteristics they offer to its audiences, the readers.
Looking into the modern knowledge society, especially here in Malaysia, some libraries
are likely havent fully ready to play a new role and to consider that there are various types of
library models to be followed with. In the modern society, where the use of electronic
services and Web-based information sources constantly increases, libraries are able to be
managed in a more democratic way, have more flexible communication system and work
organization, and their service development is already based on the quality and userorientation of services. The various types of library models are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Traditional library as a memory institution

Library as a learning and research centre
Library as a cultural and communication centre
Electronic library
Digital library
Virtual library as library without walls

Libraries had been performed many important roles in the past agrarian and industrial
societies. But those roles were limited in scope. In the 21st century, libraries have to perform
pivotal roles in disseminating and sharing the culture of knowledge. In this age of knowledge
libraries should be repositories of all of the knowledge and information accumulated by
human kind. They will have to store all kinds and forms of material and information and
disseminate beyond the geographical boundaries. Todays advanced information technology
is enabling libraries to accomplish this immense task.
Furthermore, exchange of knowledge has always been the most important objectives of
libraries. Various systems have been developed to share and exchange the records of human
knowledge. Regardless the constraints which taking over, libraries in the 21st century should
fulfil more dynamic role. They should exchange knowledge and information with users inside

and outside their country, thus going beyond their traditional reference and lending services.
This would possible when libraries agreed to expand their roles beyond the geographical
boundaries by using state of art technologies.
My last arguments which regard to information technologies, is that such as we are
talking about technology advantages which eliminate traditional flaws. E-book, for example,
is a kind of technology that allows the same information to be stored in a fraction of the
space. This is more cost effective than paper books because they need more storage space.
Computers, in addition, allow users to locate information more quickly, providing better
customer service. Mostly every members of society today looking for and using books online
is user friendly according to them, especially in education field. This means people dont
need to leave their seat in order to find one or more books they want apart from the fact that
technology is the way forward for all companies and services. Therefore, providing more
technology makes more services available as people can access the internet for more
information than that provided solely by the library.
CONCLUSION:
As far as changes and recommendations are required, libraries should invest in new
technology rather than providing more paper books. Applying all the points that has been
brought forward through my aforesaid main points and its supporting details, the issue in this
matter becomes a crystal clear recommendation that the modern libraries certainly cannot be
passive repository for books and other printed materials. The opposite requirements of storing
increasing collection in various forms and of maintaining easy access to most part of it can
only be balanced by deploying information and communication technologies. Libraries
should upgrade their services by digitizing their resources for online use.
The cutting edge is that, these services should be accessible to anyone, regardless of
time or location, through digital communication devices. Libraries can play significant role in
providing a good education and knowledge of high quality. Individuals around the world, no
matter how poor they may be, can access whatever knowledge and information they need by
visiting libraries via the internet.
Libraries should also taking a thorough consideration before making the investment
on variables that affect the question of how and where todays consumers make their
purchase decisions, i.e. it is easy to obtain, low cost of possession of the reading materials,

easy to read, attractive prices for possessing contents, easiness to carry around, weights, easy
to share with others, need of special reading instruments, i.e. kindle, eReader, iPad, Galaxy,
Nooks, etc, apart from the fact that it is free delivery or delivery incentives, compatibility in
the formats and not to forget that it concerns with copyright.
These are my arguments be presented as a justification report representing my stand
and response on the given statement. Here I restate my disagreement on the material point
which being brought in the statement.