MIS "Better Together"

The CPL thrives today because it embodies a new idea of how a library functions. No longer a passive repository of books and information or an outpost of culture, quiet, and decorum in a noisy world, the new library is an active and responsive part of the community and an agent of change. In addition, the Internet, which seemed to threaten its reason for being, turns out to be one of the things that bring people to the library (35).

This statement reflects the idea that any third place, like the library, must shift and change according to the time period, neighborhood, and advancements in technology. I agree with Robert Putnam and Lewis M. Feldstein that the library is much more than a quiet boring place with rows and rows of unused books. Libraries today can be the center of community life, and it is important that every library have the proper resources and materials that all patrons can use effectively. 

The Internet and computers are a huge force that draws individuals to the library, and in communities where the average family does not have internet access at home, libraries serve as the gateway to the electronic world. 

I also like how Putnam and Feldstein declare the library an "agent of change," and this was obvious in the video we watched today in lecture. The story of the high-school football player who was not eligible to play and how he spent his time after school at the library, instead of on the streets, really proves how a library can make a difference in the lives of many individuals.