reading response 1

It seems that as we move closer and closer towards the future, the immense growth of information has given as a sense of uneasiness and discomfort. Terms such as bombardment, overload and flooding of information are being used to suggest information to be feared. The article explains of how we optimistic terms and phrases are not being heard anymore. One person can help cope with this “overload” and that is the librarians who devote their life and time by helping people with information. The library is being used as the key component to an infrastructure which is a structure or a foundation that holds something very big together. The structure that holds the library together could be compared to the information cycle. The information cycle consists of a creator (author) making a product (book) giving it to distributors (vendor) giving it to the decimators (library) and the information is reached to the users.

Studies show that the total number of hours people spend using various media has slightly changed. Original print did not have a major change on the total number of hours being spent. Telephones are being used more because of technology and so has the radio with its significant increase. Many studies were done with television and some of its recent technologies like the satellite and cable. There was also a significant increase with this technology and it studies show that it will keep raising. The database industry has had a steady increase with its usage and it shows from total revenues. Databases on the internet and the very important CD ROM are mostly being used. As the amount of information increases, the number of electronically stored records has increased immensely. The library is one of the most important sources of media dating back to the settlement of America. It is the best way to retain media. The number of libraries keep growing and not decreasing which is very good. Libraries are very eager to influence developments related to the infrastructure.

I believe that the more information that we gain now will help us dramatically towards the future. I don’t think there should be pessimistic terms such as overload and bombardment because it widens every ones intellectual views. I am also glad to see that there has been an increase on all the medias being used as to date because there needs to be a more literate future.