Haunted Libraries

Argumentative Essay # 45285

Education
English > Argument
English > Persuasive Writing

Haunted Libraries

An argumentative paper about why students no longer utilize library resources.

1,750 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

Argument essay explaining why students do not use the library, which tries to discredit the Internet and show the advantages of libraries. The writer argues that students are not taught about the library well enough; therefore, they are intimidated. They feel the Internet is just as good, even though sources are not as reliable. Uses personal experiences.

From the Paper:

"The sixth grade is usually a great time for kids. They are finally the big shots of the elementary school. There is no longer anyone older to tell them what to do or where to sit in the cafeteria. They march around the playground and everyone knows who is in charge. Sixth grade was no different for me, and I really enjoyed most of it. On the other hand, there was one very, very horrible memory from sixth grade, library class. Once a week my class would have to go to the library for an hour and listen to our librarian, Ms. Case, ramble on about what was seemingly nothing. We would do some activities, learned to use the card catalog, and completed some book reports. We did this for about eight weeks and nobody enjoyed it. Ms. Case did not know too much about her library, which was pretty tiny. That was truly the extent of my library education. Of course, I did write tons of papers in high school, but I never formally learned anything about the library besides what I learned in sixth grade. Not to mention, those antique card catalogs we used when I was in sixth grade were a thing of the past. I only learned to use what I could teach myself in the library. To this day, as a sophomore in college, I am sometimes easily lost when I walk into one of the complex university libraries. To be honest, it is pretty intimidating. The library is not supposed to be an intimidating place. It is the best resource a student has to do his or her research. Students do not utilize the library or its resources to anywhere near the full potential. Most students are not properly educated about the tools the library has. Also, many libraries do not have sufficient funding to improve and stay up to date with society. Lastly, the internet negatively impacts library use. All of these factors have contributed to the decline of library use by students."