Where do books fit in?

Although this article from the Los Angeles Times is not specifically aimed at the youth market, the behavior it talks about definitely apply. Both books and the Internet are important tools for searching and understanding information. Neither one is complete in itself, at least not for the 21st century. The knowledge base of the world has exploded in recent years and instead of searching out all possible information, the task now is to narrow down the barrage into usable chunks. As librarians we need to provide information in all formats and help children to learn how to use them all. Books are not going to disappear; they have new allies in the world of online sources and user-generated content. It's not a change to bemoan, but one to celebrate.