Ezzani82 OUMH2203

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE

SEPTEMBER 2015 SEMESTER

OUMH2203
ENGLISH FOR WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

NAME

MOHD NOOR EZZANI B. MD ZUBIR

MATRICULATION NO.

<820220025773001>

IDENTITY CARD NO.

<820220-02-5773>

TELEPHONE NO.

<019-5734313>

E-MEL

<ezzani82@gmail.com>

LEARNING CENTRE

<PP PERAK>

Ezzani82 OUMH2203

1.0 INTRODUCTION
As the years goes by, the trend of people using gadgets such as smart phone and tablets
are generally increasing. Rapid expansion of the electronic media were seen tremendously since
2006 to 2011 in which electronic media account for five percent of all book sales in USA alone
(Darnton, 2011). Although this kind of advancement is much invited by many to help enhance
our life, there is a certain limits to modernism. Conventional mediums that still bring much
benefits to human should never be left behind or simply forgotten, and one the perfect example
for this medium is a library. Be it a public library, university library or even a humble school
library, this kind of institutions play a major role in developing a better society. A 2013 survey
conducted by Gallup stated that over 90 percent of people in USA voted that libraries are a vital
part of their communities (Essif, 2015).
However, as more and more limelight are given to the modernism, adding to their already
vast promotions, lesser acknowledgement is given to a library. With each passing years, the
government and even non-government organization will try their best to reduce funding to a
library. This kind of situation will not only affecting the budget of a library to run smoothly but
also impacting a society in the long run. It is time for the right authorities to sit together and start
focusing on bringing the libraries back to their glory years.
Thus, the purpose of this report is to highlight the key points on why a library should be
the center of any society in any part of the worlds in order to create a better living environment
for the future. In order to do so, a library should be given larger funding so that it can provide
more books of better quality. The report is intended to show case arguments that support libraries
with large collection of books will be the much needed solution to many problems currently
happening in the society. Although this report is certainly not against the use of e-books and ejournal, it is believed that such technologies have to be used within a certain limit for it to be
fully beneficial to human. Excess use of those technologies will bring more harm than benefit to
us be it in short and long term.
Besides that, there are few actions and suggestions that are being presented in this report
so that corrective measurement can be taken. The proposal includes suggestion for small
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organizations such as people in a community to a big one such as a government serious actions to
help in enhancing libraries impact. This report separated the justification into three broad
categories: first, the present situation of libraries versus the usage of gadgets, the problem arises
if too much focus being put on virtual reading materials and thirdly, benefits and much needed
changes to be made. Some of the proposal may seems simple and not important, however if a
small step done by many people, mass effect can be achieved. Such efforts will surely improve
not only the quantity of books able to be provided by libraries but also the quality of the reading
materials of our society. Indirectly, the efforts will also contribute to a community that have a
high level of awareness towards good and beneficial knowledge. In the long term, this surely will
create a first class minded people.

2.0 CONTENT
Look around us and we will see everyone is busy with their gadgets and spend most of
their time in the virtual worlds. It cannot be denied that the rapid advancement of information
communication technology change the way we live, view and communicate in our daily life. The
technology also make it way to academic world and mass media where e-books, e-journals and
even e-magazine are uploaded every single second. Most students these days no longer need to
queue up or even move from their comfortable room to gain access to thousands of e-journals
and e-books. Gone are the days where people racing and lining up in the libraries to borrow
textbooks for the semester. Although this situation may seem a good and easier solution for the
academic world, declination in soft skills such as communication skills, persuasive skills and
passion towards study are seems to be diminished from many students currently. As the
advancement of technology happened globally, the issues of graduates with lack of soft skills are
also being reported in many countries. For example, Jobstreet Malaysia reported that 52 percent
of employers voicing out that the graduate of 2011 are lacking of communication skills and
having poor attitude or personalities (Si, 2011) while Jamaica also reported that 26 percent of
employers agreed that there is a pressing need of soft skills curriculum due to incompentencies
of their graduates (McIntosh, 2013).
A fraction of this problem is the easiness of students to gain access of e-journals and ebooks. Although the technology shorten time and efforts of the students, it also induce less
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critical approach in solving a problem. Hence, students nowadays find university life to be easy
and not challenging causing them to put less efforts than graduates of yesteryears. There is much
more to doing a real research than typing few words in Google search engine and libraries served
just the right infrastructure and people to do a high quality research paper. By actually browsing
through real paperback books and hard copies of journal, students will learn the true value of
knowledge. They will understand the topic even better as there is no highlighting application or
bold keywords in printed reading materials. Student will learn to extract, read critically and
digest the information gained from books.
However, sadly in current situation where funding for libraries are smaller, lesser books
and journals can be bought. This will certainly affecting students as the topics learn in university
are diverse. By investing in books, libraries could provide a bigger collection that are able to
cater greater categories of students and also working professionals. Bigger collection of books
would also means that more people will have the access to the knowledge. As some of the
gadgets are expensive, not everyone can afford to have them in hand. Hence, by going to a
library, these under privileged people can certainly benefit greatly. It is a different situation with
e-journals and e-books as most of the provider will require a registered account to gain access to
their materials. This requirements may not seem as a big problem to students and workers as
usually their institutions will buy a bulk license. However, as we venture deeper, this kind of
requirements will hinder the sharing of knowledge to homeless or people that cannot afford
going to college or work. This notion was mentioned by David Morris (2011) as he firmly
believes that a library with a good content of books will act as a great community builder. This
what make a library stand out from any virtual reading materials. The free access to so many
information can only be made available via a library. People from all walks of life could just
come in, browse through sea of books and help themselves by reading new information.
In most libraries, there is a section named special collection. The section is often
viewed as important and thus have its own librarian for that particular area. By having a trained
librarian dedicated to that specific area, heighten benefits can be gained. Virtual reading
materials lack of person-to-person touch in which making them just a one-way learning.
However, in special collection area, the trained librarian might just change someone live by
providing the correct book to the person. For example, Oakland California Public Library have
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dedicated their special collection area for Tool Lending Library (Oakland Public Library, 2011).
This area is so important in teaching the public to have the correct knowledge of rebuilding their
home and even their live after a disaster struck in. Virtual reading materials can provide all the
information on how to build a boat, home and emergency kit but to adapt it according to the local
needs will need another locals wisdom. The special collection area potential is limitless. With
the guidance of trained librarian, one can learn simple things like building their own bookshelf to
a serious issue like learning to comb addiction or suicidal thought. In libraries, books just not a
books but could act as life savior and a true companion in tough time. This is very different to ebooks and e-journals as they cannot provide the sense of having something to truly hold on to
and thus lose the touch of humanity.
Apart from that, the problem with virtual reading materials are that they lack of identity
and sense of belonging in which a library has served for centuries. Since the Islam glory years to
Renaissance to modern days, a library always served as a place where community come and
socialized. The books provided by the library plays a major role in attracting which kind of
people to come in. If a library specialized in law and criminal categories such as the Ahmad
Ibrahim Library of Universiti Malaya will certainly attract thousands of law professionals from
students to high ranking judges. This sense of belonging to a certain group of people is a part of
interaction in human lives and help a person to feel contented. The interaction will also help
different rank of people to interact intellectually in the library as they share the same interest.
This will help to develop a nation that is able to discuss or even debate in a healthy way.
However, just browsing through blogs after blogs or articles after articles via a computer will not
nurture that same feeling. Besides that, by having a large collection of books, a library can
actually help to shape the perspective and opinions of the community. This is because as the
library attract different kind of people, the place provide a medium for them to meet and learn
more about others perspective. An anti-vaccine may meet up with a vaccine scientist and discuss
healthily in a library. With tonnes of books around them, they could easily share the views, share
the books they have been reading to and try to look from others perspectives.
Nonetheless, to build a comprehensive library that can benefit greatly to a society is no
easy work. There is a pressing need on how society and government view the importance library
nowadays. As reported by Director of Selangor Library Body (2012), only 900 thousand out of
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28 millions of Malaysians are registered as library member. This means only a fraction of 20
percent of Malaysians are having the interest to visit libraries while the others simply do not
view libraries as an important medium to gain information. Hence, a library should be enhanced
to encourage higher visitor rates and one of the most direct method is by providing more books
in the libraries. The community should be made to feel that all the information they needed is
there in the library. Although the internet could provide a quick answer to almost any question,
the internet normally lack of means for us to validate the data. This is different from reading an
actual book as the author will need to pass several review board before being published. The
filtered information presented in the books is actually what a growing society needed to
differentiate between an authentic data or just a viral post that actually laced with bogus stories.
The benefit of building a society that is alert to authentic or fake stories is important as this can
help unnecessary confusion to be built.
Other than that, the benefits of having a libraries with more books will certainly attract
the youth of a country. Youth is a time in which they are finding their identity and seeking for
ways to adulthood. Quite often, without proper guidance they will venture into the wrong choice.
However, if a library become a center of attraction for youth, they can spend their teenage years
in a better way. From gaining soft skills to hard skills, youth can actually learn their way by
simply visiting a library. Brooklyn Public Library is a good example of library as champion of
youth. By encouraging teens to work with the public library, they have open opportunities for
their teens to have a positive work experience. The youth will also become closer to their society
as they work closely with the librarys staff that closely mirrored the demographic of their
society. This allow the youth to learn more about management and even their own cultures.
Small children is another group that will benefit from libraries vast collection. In many libraries,
the children section are scarce with good books that will raise the interest to read among
children. In truth, library is the perfect place for children to learn in safe way about the real world
and engaging with the environment around them. Libraries with good children books will nurture
the love of reading among them. They also pick up the habit of going to libraries when they are
older. Hence, library will always be a place that is special for them even if they travel to another
country or become older.

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All these modifications can only be beneficial if there is a good collaboration from
everyone. To build a library with a great number of books require the society to first, value the
books and knowledge provided by them. The society need to change to become more responsible
when it comes to lending the books from the library. Besides that, the society should be made to
feels that they need to contribute to their own community library. Building a large collection of
books does not always means buying brand new books. They society should be encourage to
donate their own books so that they knowledge can be share wider. Donation of books will also
boost their sense of responsibility towards the library as they feel that a part of their belongings
are kept in the library. On the other hand, government should also play role in improving
libraries. Funding and allowing libraries to buy a greater categories of books will certainly help
libraries to expand their way into the society. A good management of library with the help of
funding by government will help to eliminate many problems such as old and damaged
bookshelf, faded and uncheerful library painting and many more.

3.0 CONCLUSION
Technologies advancement is certainly not bad if use moderately. However, in order for
us to move forward, we must also learn to value what we have in hand. By supporting libraries to
have more books, every single person in the society will gain the benefits. Books are the proof of
someones hard work, skill full mind and crafty words. Without books, the world can never
advance to how it currently is. Hence, although e-books and e-journals sounds interesting, there
is so much more of a libraries to help in building a great nation.
(2600 words)

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3.0 Appendices

1. Robert Darnton, 5 Myths About the Information Age, Chronicle Review, April 17, 2011,
http://chronicle.com/article/5-Myths-About-the-Information/127105/ (accessed November 8,
2015)
2. Essif Amien, The Internet Cant Replace Librares: Why They Matter More Than Ever In The
Age of Google, Alternet Article. (accessed November 9, 2015)
3. Si Simon, Top Reasons Why Graduates Not Hired JobStreet Press Release, October 2011.
4. McIntosh, D. (2013). Employers want greater focus on technical/vocational training. Jamaica
Information

Service.

Retrieved

from

http//jis.gov.jm/employers-wantgreater-focus-

technicalvocation-training/
5. David Morris, The Public Library Manifesto: Why Libraries Matter, and How We Can Save
Them, YES! Magazine, May 6, 2011.
6. Oakland Public Library, Temescal Tool Lending Library.