Going back twenty years, the library was our only source of information. These book-filled buildings seemed to hold answers to all life’s questions. If you wanted to know ANYTHING, this was where you headed. While such research took some time, there were few things the library couldn’t tell you. If you wanted a newspaper from fifty years ago to the day, you only had to search for it.
Now, though, the majority of us head online instead of hitting the books. And, while libraries are still valued, they aren’t our go-to information sources. The sad fact is, the internet can give us things that the library never could. Thanks to search engines like Google, we can find all the information our libraries contain in the click of a button. What’s more, the internet gives us access to some information we could never dream of finding on library shelves. For proof, let’s consider three things you could find online which you would never find in a library book.
Around the world news as it happens
The library may be fantastic for finding newspapers of the past, but it can’t bring you news as soon as it happens. Most of the books and sources libraries have access to are often pretty old. The closest thing a library can get to current affairs is the newspapers it brings in each morning. But, even those could go fast out of date. By comparison, online news resources bring us up to date news as and when it happens. You could read a story five minutes after an event occurs. You wouldn’t find THAT in your library.
Knowledge of online markets
Okay, the library would probably be able to tell you something about online markets. E-commerce and other internet-based businesses have been around long enough to have books written about them. But, the internet is a fast-moving and ever-evolving thing. As such, even books written one year ago could already be out of date. Luckily, most websites update and post on a regular basis to keep up with this. That’s not something your library does. As such, the internet wins here. If you want to find out how to start an e-commerce store, you’re best off reading blog posts and online articles. Equally, if you want to find out whether voo stocks and shares are worth investing in, the web can serve you well. In fact, the same can be said for any tech-based platform. Get online and search already!
What your friend had for breakfast
This information may not be as crucial as the other points. But, it’s info you would never find in your library all the same. Well, unless your friend wrote a memoir. Seriously though, Social media allows us to go online and see exactly what our friends are doing. And, thanks to our obsession with food snaps, you can indeed find out what your friend had for breakfast. Unnecessary information perhaps, but this is still an internet capability worth marvelling at.
