Times Argus: Vermont News & Information | Libraries prosper in the age of the Internet

Times Argus: Vermont News & Information | Libraries prosper in the age of the Internet
: "SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The rather obscure National Library Card Sign-up Month is fast approaching -- and yes, people do still have library cards.

Despite the Internet explosion, people are still using libraries, and they are doing it more often than you might think. Visits to public libraries have doubled over the past decade, according to a 2002 study by the American Library Association.

Libraries, which still outnumber McDonald's restaurants, total more than 1 billion visits annually, according to the association. On average, Americans check out six books a year.

Libraries are quietly shedding their stuffy images and starting to morph into Borders, with one advantage --their books are free.

'At some points, there were predictions that the Internet was going to be the end of libraries, but we've seen the opposite,' said Larra Clark, media relations manager for the American Library Association.

Coffee bars, comfortable chairs and extensive reading areas are some of the features found in large bookstores that are making their way to libraries nationwide.

'I think Borders has stolen some really good ideas from libraries, and now we're just returning the favor,' said Alison Landers, deputy director of public services for the Sacramento Public Library.

The biggest draw to public libraries, Clark and Landers agree, is technology-- specifically, computers with Internet access.

According to the American Library Association, 95 percent of public libraries provide public access to the Internet."