Libraries of the Future

Numerous initiatives and events in March and April this year earned libraries around the world some well deserved time in the spotlight. Libraries have been integral parts of society since the advent of literacy almost 3,000 years ago and have gone through many metamorphoses over the years becoming less exclusive, more open to the community they serve and fostering literacy on all fronts. With so many developments in the digital publishing arena, libraries are undergoing yet another wave of change and it seems that as usual, they are being moulded into the places they need to be by the people that use them on a regular basis. Their needs and requests are being translated into new spaces of learning by the true advocates for literacy and custodians of knowledge; librarians.

Libraries are seen as having a mandate to intervene in public life. Parents look to libraries to support local schools in providing resources and free early literacy programs to children and to help children learn to navigate new technologies and become critical thinkers. A PEW survey report entitled From Distant Admirers to Library Lovers — and Beyond: A Typology of Public Library Engagement in America,  is a direct challenge to commonly accepted perceptions that digital access to information invalidates the role of the library.

“Most significantly, the report elucidates the correlation of access to library resources across all demographics of American society as a predictor of community engagement. According to Brian Resnick on the nationaljournal.com, the library as a warehouse of information is an outdated concept. “The library of the 21st century is a community workshop, a hub filled with the tools of the knowledge economy, from computers, to e-readers, 3-D printers, laser cutters and even sewing machines.”

The new role of libraries as community centers will have practical implications with regards to impulse book borrowing. “Librarians have long known what book superstores discovered in the 1980’s: the “recommended reading” tables near the entrance to the store, often grouped topically, generated much more book sales than stacks and stacks of spine-out titles. As libraries become more meeting oriented and less of a warehouse for books, they will be able to merchandise books more effectively,” reports David Vinjamuri on Forbes.com. Unlike bookstores, libraries are happy to be “showroomed” – to have patrons browse a book in the library but buy it online instead.

Libraries are economic engines for communities, helping people find jobs and gain the skills they need to get ahead in their careers. The digital divide is real and as reading transitions to e-books, libraries are well equipped to help patrons understand and get the most from this technology. And although the software for lending e-books to library patrons ranges from inconvenient to archaic, things are bound to improve, especially if Open Access delivers on its promises and indie publishers find a way to negotiate space on library shelves.

“Libraries are the most trusted source of book recommendations, as they have no financial interest in the result of the recommendation. If libraries start discovering new authors, publishers will pay much keener attention to them. The current paradigm of publishers who reluctantly sell libraries e-books will reverse. Publishers will treat libraries at least as well as book bloggers and copies of new works will be distributed for free,” says Vinjamuri.

The opportunities and challenges for libraries in the new millennium are vast.

School library of the future

“As the first Internet-generation rises through the public school ranks, libraries need big changes to remain relevant. It is not enough to simply ‘be there;’ school libraries need to reach out to students and pull them in with helpful resources that combine traditional and contemporary theories in literacy,” says Matthew Lynch on ASCD.org “Experts agree that a blend of foundational values and access through technology are paramount to school library success.”

Library expert Doug Johnson says that all libraries have three primary responsibilities in the coming decade: providing “high touch environments in a high tech world; offering virtual services; and standing ground as information hubs”. “Rolf Erikson is the author of Designing a School Library Media Center for the Future and he says that he is very ‘wary’ of tradition because he feels it has kept administrators and library faculty from embracing innovation in the past. He believes that especially at the elementary school level, future libraries need to look beyond mere text materials to provide a learning space, not simply a ‘warehouse space’,” quotes Lynch.

For school library relevancy to remain strong, librarians need not view tradition and technology as isolated ideas. The school library of the future should offer access to information and also the technology to take that information and create things. As the library of old offered a space for children to research, imagine and write, so the school library of the future will offer a space for them to take those skills into new realms in the digital space from reading and writing to computer programming and multi media composition. As digital access moves from computer workstations to mobile devices, the physical library needs a robust wireless network infrastructure. Also essential are numerous electrical outlets to power and recharge mobile devices; indirect lighting that reduces screen glare throughout the library, not just in computer labs; and workspaces on which laptops can be placed at a good ergonomic height.

The library’s resources may change, but its mission remains clear: teaching children to effectively access information to meet their needs. “The emphasis has shifted from teaching learners how to find and organize information to teaching them how to evaluate and use information. But students and teachers need guidance and instruction more than ever,” says Lynch.“For public school libraries to keep up with student need, and grab the ever-divided attention of these youth, a blend of traditional and contemporary philosophy needs to take place.”

The academic library of the future

An interesting article by librarians Jane Carlin and Barb Macke on huffingtonpost.com tells us that the “circulation of print collections in academic libraries is decreasing. With increased focus on the sharing of collections, consortial delivery programs, and collaboration amongst libraries in identifying and preserving print runs and last copies, the academic library is changing dramatically. Yes, books will still be very much a part of the library of the future- but increasingly, libraries are taking a central role on campuses as cultural and creative centers.

Students want spaces that inspire learning and offer opportunities for the three C’s: collaboration, creation and contemplation.

• Collaboration: Group learning, problem-based learning and experiential learning are the current buzzwords on college campuses. These pedagogies require the right kinds of spaces to bring students together to discuss, solve problems and learn.
• Creation: Libraries can, and should be centers for knowledge creation. Students are creating digital objects, publishing online journals, using media to tell their stories and share their research. Often this means delving into primary source materials in archives and special collections, curating content and creating online digital archives.
• Contemplation: Anyone who has had the opportunity to study in any of the great libraries of the world, knows the feeling of gravitas and awe one experiences when sitting in the reading room. Spaces do inspire and inspiration leads to enhanced understanding and creativity.

”The Associate University Librarian for Research and Instruction at Temple University, Steven J. Bell, has written extensively on the topic of libraries of the future in higher education and K-12 institutions. He predicts that libraries of the future will have highly automated and mobile reference sections, on-demand collections and entrepreneurial librarians unafraid to learn new technology and implement cutting-edge ideas. University libraries are shaping the future of learning and research says Claire Shaw in the Guardian. “Far from reaching its due-by date, academic library architecture is reflecting and predicting how we learn now and into the future.”

“Libraries are some of the most evolutionary buildings that you can imagine,” says Diane Job, director of library services at the University of Birmingham, who is leading the design of a new °Ã57m library building and research annex to open at the university in 2016. ‘Future proofing’ the library building was one of the main criteria for the design. The installation of extra-strong floors and well-placed lighting will provide the flexibility and versatility that the library will need for the future.

It may not be long before students view library spaces filled with computer labs and study learning as the norm as technology plays an ever greater role in the workings of higher education. A recent study into the library habits and expectations of young Americans aged between 16 – 29 found that 25% read an e-book during 2012, up from 19% in 2011, and one in five use mobile devices to access library resources. While it’s important for libraries to stay ahead and provide users with access to the latest online resources and technologies, research shows it’s also about being able to provide a delicate balance of ‘blended learning’ – study that takes place in both the digital and physical space.

• Keeping Public School Libraries relevant, Matthew Lynch

• Library Engagement Typology, PEW Research

• Books? Or No Books? Envisioning the Academic Library of the Future, Jane Carlin and Barb Macke

• What the Library of the Future Will Look Like, Brian Resnick

• Power Up! / The New School Library, Doug Johnson

• Why public Libraries matter and how they can do more, David Vinjamuri

• The New School Library, Matthew Lynch

• University Libraries learning shapes design, Claire Shaw