Personally, I regularly have mixed feelings when it comes to
the future of the library. I've been working in libraries for 15 years now, and
whilst the nature of our services have changed, there doesn't seem to have been
a huge shift in the way that people see and use libraries. They're still seen
by the public primarily as a source of materials for loan - be they print or,
more recently, digital.
So, I was thinking, where will libraries be five years from
now? Or, more importantly, where will people be, five years from now? Here are
a few thoughts...
1. With mobile technology becoming faster and cheaper, there
will be less of a need to visit the physical library to access collections.
Especially when there's a scarcity in print materials, but an abundance of
digital material at your fingertips.
2. With a substantial number of people in the community who
are non-native English speakers, there is a need, not only for collections in
LOTE and English learning, but also for multi-lingual access points for them to
locate these resources.
3. With the changes in technology, there will be a growing
demand in supporting the lifelong learning needs of those who need guidance in
using new technology, and developing information literacy skills for the
digital age.
4. Whilst people may be less reliant on access to print
literature, they still value the opportunities to connect with literary culture
in society, and engage in discussion with authors and commentators.
5. Regardless of trends in technology, there are still many
people in the community who cannot afford to, or do not wish to, engage in new
technology, and still connect most comfortably with print information.
This is of course, hardly a comprehensive cross-section of
the information needs of people in the future. However, there is some apprehension
in the industry whereby, as people become more connected and more time-poor,
they will cease to use the library, since borrowing books take unnecessary time
and effort.
However, the reality is that, in five - even ten - years
from now, there will be plenty of people who will rely on libraries to maintain
their connection with information and the community. The thing is that the
majority of work performed by library staff involves the selection,
cataloguing, processing and circulation of print material. In my experience,
this has not changed in the past ten years. If there is a decreased demand on
print materials, then this can only be a good thing, as it creates more scope
to make meaningful connections with people in the communities, not primarily a source
of collections, but first and foremost a provider of guidance in connecting
information with people who need it, so that they can have the skills to help
themselves in the future.
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