I am my first semester into a Library & Information Science program, and so the big question on mind, and the murmur among the halls, is, what future do libraries have in a word of electronic media and digital books? the shortest answer is that there will always be a strong need for professionals who know how to collect, organize, and present information for others. in fact, with increasingly complex (even if intended to be user-friendly) technologies and software, many people feel overwhelmed by it all. granted, it’s easy enough even for your grandmother to use a search engine, but is that enough? there is far too much information out there, and it takes a bit of know-how to learn to sift through and organize it all, not just for yourself, but for others. and that’s where the need for librarians — or information professionals — comes in. and that’s why a vital part of libraries in the future will be user instruction.
a further concern relates to how expensive digital subscriptions to various resources can be, from journals to reference materials (see a brief discussion in this New York Times article). although your average library-goer may have little interest in these resources, anyone who wants to access responsible scholarship and important studies may have no way to get their digital hands on these materials — at least not for free.
anyway, there are a number of discussions of these issues to be found across the interwebs. last September, CNN ran an article on the “The future of libraries — with or without books.” in it, the author, John Sutter, stressed an important point: no matter what format books or information comes in in the future, the purpose of a library will remain the same: “To be a free place where people can access and share information.”
hence Library 2.0, which means more than libraries that use social networking and information-sharing tools; it also involves a reimagining of libraries as places not just for accessing but for sharing information, as community-gathering centers. some have incorporated multimedia centers, featuring video-shooting and -editing technology; others feature e-readers and plasma screen TVs for accessing information. in fact, larger public libraries are now offering e-books that can be downloaded with your library card.
a particularly exciting example is the “Urban Mediaspace” set to open in Denmark in 2014.
not only is it going to be one of the — if not the — largest libraries in Scandinavia, creating a new community center and landmark on the waterfront in Aarhus, but it will be state of the art in a number of ways. the architecture/design website Mood writes,
Knowledge is today more valuable than ever, and a local community that highly prioritizes a state of the art library symbolizes democracy and a clear vision for the future.Years ago knowledge was often associated with books, classrooms and hard focused work. In our vision for the new Mediaspace, we offer a broader interpretation of knowledge. In our point of view it is still hard work to acquire, understand and contextualize knowledge, but it also overlaps with play, experiences and physical activity. The Mediaspace is therefore not only shelves and media in a rational universe; it is also a flexible space for contemplation, inspiration, communication and innovation.
it is also designed for sustainability and synergy with the city, stressing inclusiveness and openness — the latter principle literally being part of the design plan. this seems to be a feature of a number of new library designs. as Miller-McCune put it,
Architecturally, these new libraries seek to respond to the evolution of information technology and the blending of ways people seek knowledge, entertainment and social encounters. Many have glass walls, which both express their openness to the city and reveal the lively goings-on inside.
these libraries feature “living rooms,” chat and discussion areas, coffee shops, etc., such as in the Seattle Central Library.
I think all this is fantastic, and very exciting. of course, it will take money to convert current libraries to these new, forward-looking, digitally inclined media spaces — and many libraries and library systems are already in danger of losing funding. but that danger comes from a misperception that the work of — and thus need for — libraries has passed, and that is something we need to fight for. education, the sharing of ideas, and connectedness — local and global — must be a priority if we’re going to have any chance at a reasonable future.
Tags: architecture, barista, Books, CNN, Denmark, digital library, e-books, e-readers, libraries, Library 2.0, library science, New York Times, Seattle Central Library, technology, Urban Mediaspace, user instruction
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