It has been rightly predicted that the digital age will not only wipe public bookshelves clean, but also permanently end the old era of libraries. As the library’s relevance comes into question, librarians face an existential crisis at a time when students need them the most. Despite their perceived obsolescence in the digital age, libraries are irreplaceable much more the librarians. Admittedly, libraries are no longer both the beginning and ending point of all scholarly research. The internet is effectively pulling students away from the stacks and revealing a wealth of information, especially to one who is equipped with the tools to find it. Indeed, the dream of cutting out the middleman is possible to attain -but at what price? Undoubtedly, the internet is a great resource and so is the library; hence, to talk about one replacing the other is absurd. It might also suffice to mention that the Internet isn’t free. Numerous academic research papers, journals, and other important materials are virtually inaccessible to someone seeking to pull them off the web for free. Rather, access is restricted to expensive subscription accounts, which are typically paid for by institutional libraries. Besides, the highly social nature of the web makes it greatly susceptible to, for example, sensationalised, low-quality information with the sole merit of being popular. Libraries, in contrast, provide quality control in the form of a stopgap. Only information that is carefully vetted is allowed in. Libraries are likely to stay separate from the internet, even if they can be found online. Therefore, it is extremely important that libraries remain alive and well, as a counterpoint to the fragile populism of the web. The point is, rather than lope blindly through the digital age, guided only by the corporate interests of web economics, society should foster a culture of guides and guideposts. Today, more than ever, librarians are extremely important for the preservation and improvement of our culture. Precisely put, the librarians keep the libraries alive. They fundamentally keep the fountains of knowledge flowing. The textbooks, reference books, set books and many others are used year after another with the assurance that they will still be usable in the next ten years because someone is responsible for them. Although some people may argue that Rwanda only has librarians because we are yet to evolve technologically, librarians are a precious symbol – a symbol that we uphold literacy, a symbol of proof that “if you hide anything in a book,” we shall find it, a symbol that we still love the old fashion satisfaction we get from reading authentic books, a symbol of our heritage. They are the unsung heroes who not only place orders for the reading materials you need but also cleans after you when you have made a mess. Similarly, the librarians replace the lost books and fix the torn ones. They help to upgrade the shelves that contain archaic books should new volumes exist. The tedious long days and nights of taking inventory are equally worth noting. They know where every material is and most of the time even go out of their way to ensure you actually read in a quiet environment. When books are assigned for assignments, the librarian saves you the headache of searching for them and quickly suggests where they could be found. Many would argue that with the digitalised catalogue system the books are but a click away; yet such arguments can only hold water if the contender were not in Rwanda or Africa for that matter. Ever imagined what the internet would be like if there were no web moderators? Librarians are the irreplaceable counterparts to internet/web moderators. Individuals who voluntarily devote their time to moderating online forums play a similar role to librarians who oversee the stacks and those who visit the stacks, minus the Master’s degree in library sciences. The chief difference between librarians and moderators is that while the former guides users through a collection of highly authoritative, published works, the moderator is responsible for taking the helm as consensus is created. Librarians are the best fit to educate people about the web. After all, web moderators are concerned primarily with the environment which they oversee and less so with teaching web skills to strangers. Teachers and professors are busy with their subjects and specializations. Librarians, therefore, are the ones who cross over into the internet to make information more easily accessible. Instead of eliminating the need for librarians, technology is reinforcing their validity. This naturally leads to the conclusion that the society is not ready to abandon the library or the librarian, and it probably won’t ever be. Libraries can adapt to social and technological changes, but they can’t be replaced. While libraries are distinct from the internet, librarians are the most suited professionals to guide scholars and citizens toward a better understanding of how to find valuable information online. Indeed, a lot of information is online. But a lot is still on paper. Instead of regarding libraries as obsolete, there should be an increased funding for improved staffing and technology. The writer is a lecturer at The Adventist University of Central Africa.
