I'm sure we all agree, we have chosen to enter the Library profession at a time of radical change. Not to say that libraries are not constantly evolving, but as the digitization of information becomes more economical, efficient, and widespread, libraries and archives are faced with a major shift in material management. Use of space is changing, formats are changing, patron expectations are changing, all in line with this digital upswing. So what will tomorrow bring?
In 2010, a group of librarians, service providers, publishers and government agents assembled for a series of workshops sponsored by the British Library and the Society of College, National and University Libraries. These workshops were designed to develop scenarios of how teaching and research libraries might evolve under different economic and social pressures. Called the Academic Libraries of the Future project, the group developed three specific scenarios designed to facilitate strategic planning for academic libraries. These scenarios were created based on two particular axis, a State/Market axis, and a Open/Closed axis. You can find more detail about the project at www.futurelibraries.info.
The question that comes about is: do we have to predict exactly what the future of libraries will be in order to be prepared for it? I believe that the fundamentals inherent in library ethics and culture will be critical in any possible scenario. As librarians, we are a facilitator between resource and patron, and regardless of socioeconomic forces, it remains imperative that our focus remains on service, regardless of what drives our infrastructure or dictates access.
I do not think we have to predict exactly what the future hold in order to prepare for it. There will always be uncertainty and unexpectedness that will alter even the best laid plans. I think it is most important as library professionals to be adaptable above all else.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Josh on this issue, to an extent. However, I do not think that there is anything wrong with planning ahead, and it should probably be encouraged. If there are trends in the way information is made available and accessed, then I think it is reasonable to expect librarians to attempt to prepare for changing information needs as much as they reasonably can. It is not necessary to predict exactly what will happen, but some measure of preparedness combined with a great deal of adaptability should suffice.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that we can entirely predict exactly what the future will bring. Technology changes so rapidly and there are so many competing types out there, it's hard to say what will take hold and be what patrons are demanding. I think the important thing is to keep the ethics of the profession going and be willing to change with the times.
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