If you’re keen on books, deciding if to build a digital or physical library can be a major headache. Even if you’re not too interested in books, you should have a functioning library. Why? Knowledge is king. Knowledge can’t be lost after you’ve gained it, unlike gear & supplies that can even be broken, stolen, or not even available to begin with.
Knowledge about whatever is best obtained from books. And books are meant for the library.
If you’re not satisfied with this reason, have you heard of bartering? You may be in a good position to create a survival library now, which is an opportunity many don’t have. So, why not gather books to barter for important supplies when you may need them?
Were you aware of life before the internet? How valuable do you suppose books were? They would be even more valuable in an SHTF scenario without access to the internet.
Building a Survival Library
There are two obvious approaches to a survival library: the digital & physical way.
Digital Library
A digital library is basically technology in play. This system is very remarkable as you can store valuable information in a very little space. This information can also be transferred in an instant whenever you choose to. The con of this library is that it is vulnerable to external forces. Elements like water, temp & EMP can easily cut off access to it. It is reliant on a power source. No power = no library.
When setting up a digital library, you need to take note of credibility. The internet is a huge wasteland on which anyone with access can dump garbage. You need to ensure that the information you’re collecting is reliable & will come through when SHTF. You should fact-check all pieces of information that you collect online before adding them to your trusted online catalog.
Physical Library
Your physical library is filled with the physical printouts of books in the digital library. This library takes quite some space to establish & cannot be easily transferred when the need arises. However, it is less vulnerable to the outside world & can be operated without a power source.
Having up to a thousand books on various topics can be informative until you need to find a specific book. You can spend hours trying to find a particular book. This is why organizational measures are critical. You can set up labels, binders & three-hole punch to make things easier.
Why Not Have Both?
Thinking of it, I don’t see anything wrong in having both library systems. You can keep digital formats of a lot of books & create a physical library using the most important books to you. This way, you’ll always have access to the information that matters — online or offline.
Conclusion
Choosing if to build a digital or physical library should not be a source of worry to you. You can easily set up a virtual library, but a physical one will take a lot of effort. If you have the resources, I suggest that you establish both. If you don’t, you should start with an online library whose credibility is unquestionable.