Week 10 is our final week, where did the time go?
Our topic this week is Future Trends. No new tech tools to learn this week. Instead, this is your chance to do some reading, thinking & discussing about how libraries are changing and where libraries are headed in the future. Many folks are predicting the demise of libraries (who needs a library, we have the Internet). While others see libraries serving new roles within our communities. There’s no doubt that libraries won’t survive “just because we’ve always had libraries.” They must continue to meet the changing needs of the library users. But how? What changes? What roles? What will your library look like in 2020?
Learning Activity
Read one or more of the following articles, or any other reports, blog posts, articles that you feel are relevant to the topic. If you have other articles you’d like to share with everyone, please post them in the comments below.
- The Future of Libraries: Interview with Thomas Frey
- Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians – Joyce Valenza
- Seth Godin: Future of the Library
- Horizon Report 2011 – Executive Summary - The Horizon Reports present technology trends and challenges over the next 5 years.
- Horizon Report 2011 – K-12 Edition – Executive Summary
- The Value of Academic Libraries – Executive Summary – ALA/ACRL (Thanks to Maria McShane for suggesting this one)
Some ideas for your blog post:
Please label your post “Thing 10 : Future Trends”
- What do you think your library will be like in the year 2020?
- What technologies will most affect how libraries operate in the future?
- What opportunities are there that we’re not yet taking full advantage of?
- What services might we need to give up in order to move forward?
- What new services do you think we can offer that will be valued by our communities?
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We used the ACRL Report “The Value of Academic Libraries” in our recent strategic planning efforts and found it helpful. Here is the link: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/value/val_report.pdf
Great suggestion – just added it to the list. Thanks.
The suggested articles brought up many good ideas and were also very thought provoking. Some rambling thoughts:
Archiving community items is an idea but I would think that a historical society would be the one to record special area events.
Since there are different types/sizes of libraries, it’s hard to visualize what they all may look like in 9 yrs. Technology is advancing so fast. I can see adding more computer banks for quicker access to data while reducing the number of actual books on shelves. This may suit the ‘tree lovers’ but would increase the energy usage which could be hard to afford by a community library like mine.
I liked the idea of making use of the opportunity to include media production capabilities in the libraries.
I think that people use the library as a free resource. People who like the feel of a book can handle the books in today’s library; others can have computer access without paying for it at home. If a new book is seen at a store, the library can provide a copy to read to see if purchasing a hard copy is an option.
It was in the news lately that libraries could be asked to repurchase an ebook after it had been borrowed 26 times or so. What a logistical nightmare!
I can see phisical books moving to ebook editions; DVDs replaced by Netflex (??) or Youtube(free). But we still have meeting rooms and study rooms (for tutoring, etc.) for public use (free).
I guess I see future libraries being gathering places to either work or play. Not sure food would be a good idea; or getting rid of library clerks in favor of having only librarians to assist with finding information on the internet but that would provide better job security to recent graduates of library science but I don’t see it as cost effective. Librarians are better at the logistic end of things; not that they can’t help out patrons but is that the best use of finances? A librarian doing all the “grunt” work?
After all this rambling, I am curious now to see just how libraries will evolve; to continue to provide an invaluable service to both the rich and poor of society.
Polly,
Since you are giving extra week for people to finish, could you put a thing 11 for us who are update and have finish would giv e us something to do next week. I rather do something then just waiting doing nothing. Thanks
Wow! Nothing spells success like “we want more”!
I won’t have time to get another “thing” done this weekend (true in oh some many ways….) BUT you’re in luck! Several other programs continued on and did “more things” sort of programs. Two of them are:
– Minnesta’s More Things on a Stick- 23 more things
– PLCMC Learning 2.1 – Lots more things
In our case “Archiving community items” is purchasing work written by our faculty and this makes part of our collection unique. Uniqueness is important when you want to stay on top your game.
I am not a Librarian but I believe staff and librarians make our library work. All the people who fill these roles have duties and interactions with patrons that are important. I may not know what database to look up a topic but I bet I can process and get the article faster than my Librarian supervisor. It is about team effort to get what our patrons need and in a timely manner, more now than ever with the age of instant information with the internet.
I see some of our lessons becoming classes taught to patrons to help them keep up and stay connected with children and grandchildren.
I think as more people purchase Wi-fi capable products we may not need more terminals but space or special furniture for them to use the products as individuals or groups.
I think libraries will always be a place to borrow books, movies, journals or newspapers for free regardless of the format. Libraries will have quite places to study for people who need it and places for groups to meet and interact. Libraries will change with the times and find unique ways to help serve their patrons or they will be left in the dust.
How can we be sure that all 10 of our comments have been received? Just want to be sure that I posted all correctly. My #10 didn’t get posted under my name, just “Thing 10″ etc….
Karen, this is the blog address I have for you: http://karens-krazykapers.blogspot.com/ Is that correct? Check over what you’ve written on your blog and make sure there is one blog post for every “Thing” on the list. You should have a total of 10 “THings”.
Polly,
Just finished reading JV’s Manifesto and posted my Thing 10 (glad for the extra time).
I wanted to say thank you for organizing everything so well. Great job.
Judi
Judi, Did you have a post for Thing # 5? I’m a bit bleary eyed tonight, so I may have just have missed. it!
Done!
Yay!
Now that I’ve done ten things w/ new technology, I just dropped my mouse on the post comment