After having several family members ask me in recent days, “Are there even going to be libraries in the future, or will it all be online?” it’s nice to be able to look back at the history of the profession as I enter this career path. In the one year I have been living abroad so far, I have had the opportunity to see several libraries, from educational to religious. Now looking back on my travels and reading this particular chapter makes think a little more about the important roles libraries have placed throughout history and how that shapes our societies.

Most importantly, I think the explanation of how modern libraries have come about, as well of the different purposes throughout time, goes to show that libraries are essential and no matter the format the material is in, whether hieroglyphic carvings on temple walls, books laboriously copies by monks, or digital books on Kindles, there will always been a need for public access to information.
Rubin, R. E. (2008). Stepping back and looking forward: Reflections on the foundations of libraries and librarianship. In K. Haycock & B. E. Sheldon (Eds.), The portable MLIS: Insights from the experts (pp. 3-14). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
Cahill, T. (1996). How the Irish saved civilization. New York: Nan A. Talese.