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INTRODUCTION

Information and Communication Technologies or better known as ICT refers to technologies


that provide access to information through telecommunications medium. It is quite similar to
Information Technology (IT), but it is focuses primarily on communication technologies. This
includes the Internet, wireless networks, hand phones, and other communication mediums.
A few decades ago, information and communication technologies have provided society with
a vast array of new communication capabilities. For example, people can communicate in
real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging
( Yahoo messenger) , voice over IP (VoIP), and also through video conferencing. Social
networking websites like Facebook also allow users from all over the world to remain in
contact and communicate on a regular basis.
For a librarian like me, I think any libraries worldwide should more invest more on books
rather than invest in new technologies such as e-books, and e-journal. By investing in the
new technologies, the library will need to put on extra monies in order to use it for the usage
in the library itself.
We can see, with the advancement of technology nowadays, computers are set to replacing
books at a very fast pace and some people believe that in the fist of books against technology,
now libraries must spend on technology rather than books. This is not the ideal ways of
which library being operated.

Though there are many advantages in using all of the

technology for the library, there some other great advantages of books to peoples mainly
children.
Yes, by using technology, such as e-books, allow the same information to be stored in a
fraction of space. Meaning to say, the space will be very minimum as compared to the actual
book itself. When there are thousands of book in the library, so more spaces needed for the
storage of the books. But if we use technology, storage cost will be very minimum.
Print books have certain characteristics that affect the way they are priced and the way
libraries make them available to their stakeholder. First, unless a library purchases multiple
copies of the same print book, only one person can borrow it at any given time. Second, print
books wear out after multiple uses, or may be lost or stolen, so that libraries must either
purchase new copies or repair the copies that they have in order to be able to continue to lend
them. Third, in order to borrow a print book from a library, a patron must be present at the
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library during a time when the book has not been checked out. Fourth, if a library maintains a
waiting list for a print book, a borrower must wait for his or her name to reach the top of the
list at which point he or she must make a trip to the library within a given period of time in
order to check the book out. Finally, people must return a print book to the library when he
or she is finished using it and must do so within a specified period of time in order to avoid
late fees charges. These are some of the disadvantages of using books. But then we can see
from the positive effect of using books. We teach them how to discipline themselves in
future.
By using technology in the library, computers will allow users to locate information more
quickly and providing better customer services. But when it involves actual books, we will
need extra time to look for a book that we are looking for. So we will save our time in
looking for book.
When we use technology in searching for an e-book, we can easily get the book without we
need to leave our seat in order to find it. So in other words, it is more users friendly. Without
technology, we will need to go out there to the library and need to look for the book at the
library manually.
Even the usage of technologies makes our life simpler; we still need books for the library.
Maybe we can have a small corner in the library for information technology section which
consists of computer and internet facilities attach to it.
In the current situation in Malaysia, library has been one of the most important sources of
information. Many Scholess library in Malaysia still lack of enough facilities to cater its
students. You can hardly see any technology especially at the rural areas. The school were
given a limited fund to invest in the technology. For example, the allocation for each of the
school yearly for its library will be depending on its enrolment. So when a school is
categorized as small school with smaller number of student enrolment, so the school will be
receiving a small amount of money for its library. With that small amount of money, they can
hardly invest something for their library neither on books nor technology. I found that only
library in urban area or in university will have an adequate facility for its customers.
The Malaysian Education Department (KPM) has encouraged the students in all school
across Malaysia to read lots of book. By introducing a program called NILAM at schools in
Malaysia, it is one of the ways that school to encourage students to read more books for the
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good of their own future. NILAM main aim is to encourage the teachers to develop the
creativity of their students and to make reading book as a students hobby and habit. So its
good that the government of Malaysia do encourage the reading habit. But then, most
libraries nationwide still have lack of infrastructure and facilities due to inadequate funds.
I still believe that books are more important as compared to the e-books and e-journals. There
are many reasons to support my ideas. New technology only helps us to get extra knowledge
and information faster. So I hope library will invest more on books as compare to the new
information technology available in the market.

Main discussion:
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In making new investment, we need to spend some monies in order to get the investment on
the related area that we want to improve. But to invest in the library, we do also need money.
There are two main issues that is, firstly is low amount of fund allocated and; if we have
fund, how to spend the fund wisely and gives benefits to all of people around the organization
including its customer?
First of all, maybe some people did not notice is not all books are available on digital format.
So some specialised book will still be in paper form. So, no matter how hard you try to find
the book in the internet, you will never find it. You will waste your time all day long in order
to find some books that are not exist on the digital form. At the end of the day, you will go to
the library to find the book. So it is better for us look for books at the library, so it is better for
any library to invest more on books. Books will last longer than the digital materials. We
know that some books are not available online or in digital material. For example, some of
the books mostly like the story book for children. Some books like old manuscripts , which is
very value able and very expensive.
Secondly,

the paper books are not easily lost unlike the e-books which can be deleted

accidently or malfunction. So, if you have the advance technology in the form of e-books or
journal, you will have additional information as you have that book in your flash drive or any
removable disk. But then when it was attacked by viruses or you accidently deleted it or even
misplace where is the location you transferred it to folder, then you are in big trouble
especially when that is the time you want to use or search information using it. When your
removable disks were infected with virus, you will have the risk of losing your entire
document on the disk.
Next, one of the main reason why library should invest more on books is that, the libraries
should be responsible for keeping paper books as one day the internet may not exist or total
blackout of power at the whole world. If there is no internet connection o any electricity
power suddenly unavailable, we can still be able to refer things from the paper book. How
can you read e-books or e-journal when all of this facilities or technologies are unavailable?
So we should not too dependable to the new technology. In emergency circumstances, paper
book will be the only dependable source of information that we can refer to. So, it is known
that paper books are the only reliable and safe source of information.

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It is proven that paper books help people to focus and concentrate on what are the books that
they read. They are not easily distracted as compared to other medium of communication. If
people read online book or journal, they can be easily distracted. This is because they will try
and tempts to find any others book even though the book that they currently read is not done
yet. Sometime the book that they read online will tend to redirect the reader to other websites
as there are links or pop up for new book. Based from my experiences, I will tend to click to
the link or pop up even I had not finishes reading the book. As a result, the book that they are
reading just now will not be focused and they will start reading new books or websites. Do
you think the paper book will have those pop up or link pages? I am sure you cannot find any.
So, by reading a book, you will only focus on the book itself.

According to Michael Hyatt, Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, indicates that the
production of the cost of an e-book will be very costly as compared to printed books. So it
will make the e-books to be more expensive. So the library, which wants to acquire the eBook
from the publisher, will be very much expensive. So it is a cost effective for us to invest
more in books.

Nowadays, we can see people who wear spectacles are increasing more and more. This is due
to the technology that they use for reading. If you spend more time to read online by using
your laptops or tablet pc, then you can have some problem such as myopic eyes and so on.
Now parents, starts giving their children a smartphone and tablets and then encourage them to
read online. They explore new books or better known as e-books. Yes that is a good way to
expose your child to the information technology. When they read online, they may exposed to
the uncensored sites which maybe more attractive than the e-book that they currently read.
Like I had discussed above, the link up pages maybe of those who want to make some profit
when any users click the link page as every cents that they earn will be from the clicks that
peoples click on the link or pop up. With attractive link page, the children will be aroused and
explore other website.

Finally, when we see a shelf full of books, it will give us inspire us to read it. Same goes to
the children, they will be motivated to read the books as they can learn new knowledge from
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this book. I still remember when my late father buys encyclopaedias for me. It consists of
more than 100 books. So I read it the entire book in only one month time. During that time
there are no computer or even smarts phone and internet, but it stimulates my interest to read
as I want to know everything in the books. That is how in a way those books can help to the
readers interest and also broaden their imaginations.

So it is suggested that library makes investment on books. It is because though there is some
improvement on the modern technology, we still the old ways as it has been a proven sources
of information. Though some people thinks that the book can be

CONCLUSION

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Information and communication technology has emerged as one of the key channel in
distributing any information. Just through one click of your mouse, you will gain the required
information just on your fingers tip. That is the reality nowadays. A book has becoming less
functional than before due to the rapid growth of information and communication technology.
New generation now uses smartphone, tablet as their main source of information. But what
will happen when all of this suddenly disappeared? So we will need to change the channel of
information from information technology to read books.

Even with the establishment of new technology, we cannot deny the important of books being
use in the library. It has many functions as it can gives stimulation and also motivation for
children to read. If the entire library is using e-books, what will the current library will be?
Are we going to the library and ask for Id and password only and start surfing? No it is
unlikely. If it is going be like that, then we do not need library anymore. We can call it as
archived.
As a father for my children, I do not want to expose my children too much on the digital
medium as it can destroy our child, not only physically but also mentally. This is because,
once they were dependable with digital materials, it will be their custom. When they were too
dependable on digital material, they tend to absorb not only books but also the digital
material of which have adult contents. This will indirectly cause morale problems.
We must remember that, when the children uses all of their five senses, in acquire their
information, they will be able to retain the information for such a longer period. This is
because the children will start to get information by searching the books, hold or touch the
book and then read it. So, its involve all of the senses.
The books have been one of the main sources of information. It has been proving from the
history, that we have found books that were being written centuries ago and it is still intact.
We do not know how long wills the e-book last. Or when the hackers start to strike? It is still
unproven till now. So, once again, I would like to reiterated that library need to invest more in
books as it is one of the safest ways to gain and retain information. Some books may look out
dated, but many others may not.
Reference:

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Libraries invest in technology or books, (2015), Downloaded on: 10 th November 2015,


sources: http://ieltsliz.com/should-libraries-invest-in-technology-or-books/
Lozada C. (2015), The Washington Post, Do we still need libraries, downloaded on 0 th
November,

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-we-still-need-

libraries/2015/04/23/c2105778-e92e-11e4-aae1-d642717d8afa_story.html
Yahoo.com (2015), Why libraries should provide more books rather than invest in new
technology such as ebooks and e-journals?, Downloaded on : 10 th November 2015, Sources:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151107044022AAH8Kzv

Dempsey K. (2015), Why Libraries is essential?, downloaded on 10 th November 2015,


sources: http://www.librariesareessential.com/why-are-libraries-essential/

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