In my Mass Communication class this morning, we were discussing the internet and how hugely widespread it has become since it was created. People cannot live without the internet. I know that for myself, as a college student, it would be extremely difficult for me to imagine my life without it. So much research is done on the internet. So many of my teachers use the internet for communication and other class purposes. I would be lost without it. The sad part is that I hardly remember what the world was like before the invention of the internet. Yesterday, I was reminded.

I’m sure I’m not the only college student who can admit that if given the freedom to do research where ever and however I please, I choose to do it online, from my personal computer. Libraries are great, but to be honest, I haven’t found myself doing research in one for quite some time now. However, I wasn’t given a choice when I received an assignment which required that I bring in at least one book a photographer has had their work published in. Turns out, I don’t have very many books on photography. Unfortunately, Medaille doesn’t either. At this point, I was forced to expand my horizons and venture out of my comfort zone.

I had a library card once. I couldn’t tell you the last time I used it, or even saw it, for that matter. So I made my way downtown to the Buffalo Central Library to get down to business. After struggling for a few minutes on how to find it, my roommate and I found our way and headed inside. I filled out the paperwork and got a new library card. Then it was time to find the book. Let me just tell you that I have never been in the Central Library before, and if it wasn’t for the help of the very kind librarians, I could have been looking for hours. Our library is enormous. I wish I would have known about it before! You can borrow DVD’s for no cost, and you can take out 15 books or magazines, etc. at a time! (15 is the maximum you can take out while you’re on probation after you first get your card. After you’ve been there for a certain period of time, you can take out 50.) Call me a dork, but I was excited to be in the library. Who knew they were so cool?

I know I’m not the only college student who is dependent on the internet for research and other educational purposes. Yes, it’s easier than taking yourself to the library and you never have to return the research you find online. But the resources you find at libraries can add a lot to your work if you take the time to look. To be honest, I’m glad that I was forced to rediscover libraries. I guess life before the internet couldn’t have been that bad, after all.