Not a robot to be seen!
What’s this talk of libraries being run by robots in the future? Can a robot smile and offer a cheery good morning? Can a robot have a friendly chat about the ipad, the lastest bestseller or the best restaurant in Mosman? Can a robot offer a caring hand for a lost child? Can a robot have an idea? I think not!
So whilst technology may be changing and information is being disseminated in ever increasing formats libraries will still need that human touch that only humans can give. Creativity, decision making, understanding and humour. These are human traits that technology can never replace. Librarians have more to do than ever before, more decisions to make and more issues to consider. We are more than happy to hand over some of the more mundane jobs such as issuing and stamping books to technology but nothing can replace the qualities and skills that librarians bring to the organisation and running of the library. So sorry robots you may be able to help us do our jobs but if you think you’re going to take over, forget it!
