Maintaining Public Libraries Is A Waste Of Time Since Computer Technology Is Replacing Their Functions | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample
Maintaining public libraries is a waste of time since computer technology is now replacing their functions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Here is a band 8 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.
Band 8 IELTS essay sample
Computer technologies have developed at an unprecedented pace nowadays, and some argue that it is pointless to support / maintain public libraries because their functions are increasingly being fulfilled by computers. In my view, while using laptops can make research easier and more interesting, state libraries are worth investing in / worth the investment because of the important role they play in this modern world.
It is true that computers can sometimes do a better job than the traditional library in dispensing information and engaging learners. Through the internet, people can access information in a variety of means such as through online newspaper, blogs, or video clips, and the way to do so can be as straightforward as a single click on the mouse. Furthermore, compared to reading printed text/books/magazines which might seem comparatively boring, it is more intriguing and engaging for most people to surf the internet and watch programs such as BBC online documentaries to acquire the knowledge they need.
However, despite these benefits brought by computers, I believe that libraries still occupy an irreplaceable place in people’s lives. Firstly, as all the books and magazines in the library are published by professional houses, their reliability and authoritativeness is guaranteed. It therefore reduces the possibility of people getting misguided by false information. In addition, public libraries generally have sufficient budget provided by the government so that they can invite experts to give lectures. This approach allows visitors to gain deep insights into a certain specialized field, which can hardly be achieved by merely using a computer on one’s own.
In conclusion, computer technology has made information research more accessible and enjoyable, but I believe that state-funded libraries are still of great value for citizens to obtain reliable and quality content. Consequently, they deserve to continue to exist and to receive a stable subsidy from the authority.
Do you have an essay on this topic? Submit it below in the comments for a free band score estimate.
• Maintaining public libraries is a waste of time since computer technology is now replacing their functions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Computer technology has significantly influenced in human life and their activities. For instance, at present, people can search, read, purchase and share books and reading materials without having much efforts. Therefore, some people argue that public libraries are completely useless since new computer-based technology can fulfill the service which had provided by public libraries earlier. Although Computer technology can provide reading materials and share knowledge, in my opinion, there are few drawbacks which cannot fulfil from computer machines.
It is true that computer machines will able to filter and provide any kind of books or journals just in a few seconds with saving lots of time for the reader. Sometimes readers can not find their required literature from an ordinary library at ease. He or she should spend hours while searching among number of racks and cupboards with lots of dust. Furthermore, users can not extract relevant information easily by books while they can directly extract them using digital books. Therefore, from digital computers will help reader to select their needs effectively and efficiently.
On the other hand, libraries are not only a place for lending books. It’s a knowledge sharing center where people can gather and work together with books and journals. Therefore, people cannot abandon ordinary libraries even though computers can provide access to enormous reading materials online. Meanwhile, reading online materials will cause in sight problems. Doctors have stated that reading small letters from digital screens rather than ordinary books will damage cells in human eye and create headaches and stress in our mind.
To conclude, though digitalizing books will save our time and efforts, it also be a cause in loosen activities among social groups while creating health and sight issues on human body. Therefore, in my opinion, it is better to keep ordinary libraries with having systemized machines to locate and find the relevant reading material where keep in the library and digitalized copies of books for conservation and extracting purposes.
This seems band 6.5 to me.
It is well evident that with the advanced technology, services of traditional libraries are replaced by the computer-led functions. Even though some people think that maintaining public libraries wastes money as computers can take over their services, I personally believe that we still need traditional libraries in the society.
Firstly, the public facilities are accessed by people of all ages, including the elderly, who are not that proficient in using computer technology. In other words, if the manual services of public libraries are completely computerised, it would be unfair for those who are not skilled computer users. For example, more than half of the people we encounter in everyday life are not familiar with computer skills. Cutting down all manual services of public libraries would be disadvantageous for not only the elderly, but also for those who are incompetent in computer usage.
Secondly, access to computers itself could be a major problem. It is possible to build a public libraries to facilitate the countryside population but it is impossible to provide them with access to computers. For an instance, it is highly unlikely that families of low socioeconomic status can afford to buy computers to get their work done, which is usually done freely at a public library. Therefore, access to computers will be a major issue if the public libraries are completely shut down.
On the contrary, those who refute with this would point out the ease and convenience of using computer functions rather than visiting a public library. Furthermore, the level of interaction of the reader is much more high in the computerised method as surfing through the internet will never make someone bored and instead, keeps the reader excited and engaging.
In conclusion, even though it is partly true that services rendered at public libraries can be computerised as a measure of cost-cutting, I believe that people who are either incompetent or unable to access computers still deserve a place to read, which emphasises the importance of public libraries.
This seems band 6.5 to me.
Maintaining public libraries is a waste of time since computer technology is now replacing their functions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays, the sophisticated devices especially computers have developed at an unprecedented pace in our society that influence the existing public libraries. Some people point out that government will no longer need to subsidy the traditional libraries but from my point of view, libraries should still have to maintain for public in spite of the fact that technology have replaced in this modern world.
There are a number of reasons why it is worth investing in maintaining public libraries. Firstly, although anyone who comes from different backgrounds, they can be members for dispensing information, borrowing books, magazines or journals from libraries and even can access for twenty-four hours. Moreover, the information from books are more reliable than computers where people might sometimes get irrelevant information because these books are published by professional authors around the globe. Additionally, most of the elder people are less adaptive to new technologies such as how to surf information related to their specialized field that are easily available through computer by clicking mouse.
On the other hand, there are some people who assert that they can get up-to-date information from computers compared to old books in computers. They feel that they can easily surf the internet they want by sitting and clicking in their home. Moreover, they also enjoy the colorful breaking advertisement from computers and less boring in reading printed books. Finally, they do not need to wait longer for books borrowing by someone like the ancient time.
In conclusion, from my point of view, public libraries are deserved to maintain as they are irreplaceable resources and intended for everybody from different financial status to encourage the value of reading.
This seems band 6.5 to me.