IFLA2010- One unsuccessful library visit-some questions

Yesterday we went to visit Chalmers University’s library. Chalmers University of Technology is one of the great and important universities in the Gothenburg and Sweden. After passing a long way from Swedish exhibition and congress center and looking for the main library of the university, We arrived in the main library at 4 pm but unfortunately it was closed, no one was there and just a piece of paper was hanged on the door mentioning the library is closed in that time in some days. It was strange that Although IFLA has announced the possibility of autonomous visits of Gothenburg libraries for the congress participants, the tome table of working hours of the libraries is not presented.

 Another and more important thing is strange for me is that a university library is closed so soon. We used to stay in our university library until the sky became dark to search, browsing books, discussing, studying and etc. even in university holidays. Is it means that every library services are presented via Internet and other new information and communication technologies that the need to being in a library is satisfied? Is that meaning digital resources really could replace the print materials? What about social aspect libraries that is lost in electronic libraries? Here are some questions that it’s interesting to find answers for!