Library of the Future

This was finals week for Winter quarter, whew. I've decided to share here the text of my final paper for "Computers in Libraries" class. We were to describe what we thought libraries would be like in 20 years. It wasn't a tough paper, just one we were supposed to be reflective and think about how technological change has affected libraries in the past 20 years and how it will affect them in the next 20. So this is my vision...
When I imagine what public libraries will be like in 20 years, I see them as portals for information of myriad types: research, entertainment, enlightenment, education, daily life, you name it. Service to patrons encompasses more than books, music and movies -- access to information and technology for everyone is the guiding principle for librarians.
Libraries will be purveyors of information, teaching people how to search for it, helping them navigate in a world cluttered with information at every turn. They will have become, in the words of a wise librarian, "information dieticians." But there still will be a portion of the population that was not raised with computers. No matter how ubiquitous computers have become, some people will still be adapting -- or resisting change. Librarians will need to be able to serve them.
Because many of their patrons will still be aging Boomers, there will be books and other printed materials available. Books will not die, but will co-exist with non-print versions of the same works. In a world that has become more and more transitory, people will still value the feeling of permanence printed books give. Printed material will survive, but more options will be available. E-books for download, audio books, and preloaded e-readers will be available for check-out much like play-aways are available today. The library will exist as much online as it does in a physical building. Library Web sites will increasingly give patrons access from anywhere. Libraries will have embraced the idea that online interaction will increase their power to provide information to the masses, no matter whether those patrons are around the corner or on the other side of the world. New ways of cataloging collections and encoding metadata will create interconnecting links to and from library OPACs and the World Wide Web in general. Resources will be more interactive and users will be able to add things like reviews to an item's record.
Even with this global presence, since these libraries depend on public funding, they will need to promote how they can make all this new technology and information available to their own community. Partnering with other librarians in schools and organizations, public librarians will become teachers of a sort. As technologies emerge, libraries will position themselves as leaders in teaching their communities not only how to use new tools, but ways to make advantageous use of the tools to make their lives better. They also will be champions of the cause for making access available to everyone. Gifted librarians will make emerging technology their ally in educting their communities.
By 2030, libraries will be vibrant places full of computers and other technology available for use by anyone. Gone will be the "shushers," replaced by information technology experts eager to help people learn about the latest advances. I have no idea what new technologies will come in the next 20 years, but I know that forward-thinking librarians won't resist change, but seize every technology opportunity as a way to become more useful to patrons , as a way to encourage new uses for the resources the library has access to.
But don't worry; in their continued mission of literacy education, libraries will still hold story times for babies, read-alongs and other youth-oriented activities with books. Yes, books, ones that contain brightly colored pictures and simple text, but also might incorporate sound and movement. I am sure that low-tech books will still have a place in the world. Just as vinyl records are still around long after the advent of CDs and MP3s, so books will endure and people will still read them.

Speaking of projects

I’m getting started today on the project to learn (er, re-learn) Spanish. I’ve checked out an audiobook from the library and put it on my iPod. For those who don’t know the story here: I learned quite a bit of Spanish when we lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for about a year when I was 8 or so. I don’t think I really kept up on it in elementary school and then when I went to Jr. High, I took 3 years of French. I followed that up with a year of Latin in High School. (At that point I wanted to be a vet, so it was good for learning all those Latin names for things, right?) Result: Three languages jumbled up in my head and not one will come out at once. I can understand a lot of spoken Spanish and French; unfortunately they come out garbled together if I try to speak one or the other. Grrr.
So I’ve decided that I need to learn Spanish once again. Katie has taken Spanish in high school so we can practice together and Mel has decided it sounds like fun, too. I have an inkling that when CJ signs up for language he’ll be taking Spanish as well. (High school graduation requirements include two years of foreign language.)There you have it, a new subject to learn that will help me greatly in my journey to work in Library Land PLUS something I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Now I’ve got to see how this whole audiobook learning process goes….

Libraries' role in society

So public libraries play an important role in society by providing free access to information, but what sorts of free information do they provide access to? From the very beginning, libraries have been filled with books and other printed materials, but recently the information available from libraries has gone through a transformation. With the advent of computers, information is more accessible than ever. Libraries have changed the kinds of information they provide access to and how they provide access to it.

Today, libraries provide computers to patrons, not only for word processing use, but as a means to access the OPAC (online public access catalog), the Internet, games, and other resources. Most libraries subscribe to various searchable databases and online reference tools, as well as digital archives and subscriptions. For many, just having a library card allows patrons to have access to all that on their home computers or from the library’s public-use computers. Libraries see it as part of their role as providers of information to offer the means to access these resources regardless of who a patron is. One of the tenets of the modern ALA’s Bill of Rights is: “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” (ALA Web site, “Library Bill of Rights”) That assures everyone has access to the digital age; even if they can't afford a computer, they can go to the library and use one. Besides providing computers to use, many libraries today offer free wireless Internet access in their buildings, so people can bring their laptops – or borrow one in some cases – and use them in the library. One library in Waterford, Michigan, found its WiFi access so popular that it put a big antenna up in 2008 and began broadcasting the free signal 24 hours a day. (Wisely)

Libraries across the country have begun offering all sorts of services to their communities – most of them free. They offer free classes in computer use and provide access to online homework help for students. Some provide audio books and other formats of newspapers and information to blind and visually impaired patrons. In the article “Library Sends Books to Handicapped,” Ana Maria Trujillo states that: “According to a fact sheet released by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, in order to qualify for free services you must be a resident of the United States and unable to read standard print because of temporary or permanent visionary impairments. People with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, which hinders their ability to read easily, also qualify for the services.” (Trujillo) Offering these services to dyslexic people is a fantastic step and allows them to have easy access to all sorts of information.

Other libraries provide downloadable eBooks and audio books to all their patrons. With all of this digital content, libraries have become much more than a building full of books. There is a lot of information that patrons can access from home. While libraries provide access to online reference materials and databases, users don’t need to know how to access these types of information, the librarians will help them – by phone, e-mail, online chat or in person. Library staff members are trained to help information seekers find what they need.