With an increasing shift towards a digital age, libraries are finding themselves in positions where they must adapt to continue serving users effectively. From personal experience some of the main ways I have seen libraries make this shift is by adopting digital resources and materials for their collections. Libraries have begun to add ebooks into their main collections in addition to the physical print materials already within their collections. We can also see many libraries offering and adopting apps that offer collections of ebooks and audiobooks for users to check out, my local libraries tend to use the app Libby for this service. While the digital age does translate to an increased demand for digital collections and offerings, there is still a constant demand for physical print resources. Many library users still like to check out physical copies of books. The equal demand for both print and digital materials highlights one of the many challenges libraries in the digital age face. Fortunately, when libraries have the budgetary funds they need, many find themselves able to maintain a balance between print and digital for their collections. It may seem that libraries have to be at the forefront of innovation as they transition into the digital age, but there are some that don’t believe libraries should take such a leading role. Some believe libraries should be more reactive and adaptive instead. Rather than striving for innovation libraries should focus on reacting and adapting to the needs of their users. An ideology that is definitely useful for libraries who face limited budgets and cannot afford to adopt the latest technology and the latest innovations in the field. While the digital age has brought about changes to libraries, many seem well equipped to meet and adapt to these changes, and continue fulfilling the needs of their users.
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