One of the things we discussed in class was definition of the library.  This was an important discussion since it examined libraries from perspective of time.  It quickly became apparent that the concept is more connected to the people then to artifacts which are associated with a place called library.   In this age when information is stored sometimes in ethereal medium as Internet (yes there is physical storage associated with it, but it might be widely distributed) that question becomes very important.  While yes most libraries are involved with storage of information, their central role is not in data warehousing, but how that information is converted into usable knowledge.

      Knowledge is not something you can store; it is processed information which becomes usable by the people.  Even though most people can given time find information they need to compile it into the knowledge, the importance of libraries comes in form of the librarians.  Librarians not only deal with answering question, but their major role is in compiling various information and then translating it into knowledge which is needed by patron/user/owner.  From that prospective even if there is no physical place which store a lot of artifacts like books, as long there are librarians who have a way to access the information it becomes a library.  Library is service, with secondary role of being the information storehouse.  If there was no need for libraries as some people try to say nowadays there would be no need for librarians, but we know from our daily lives that is not true.  People need someone who they can go to acquire or at least help them compile information into knowledge they need.  In conclusion we should view libraries as service and people not as dry artifacts which fill some building or some database.