an idealistic view of the future of libraries
The Future of Libraries: Public Libraries: History has proved a pervasive need for publicly-funded libraries and modern research continues to solidify their continued support. Public libraries are seen as the public’s Community Research & Development department and vital public assets. Public libraries will continue to be a central force in our civic lives for the foreseeable future. Municipalities will continue to support libraries as spaces in response to the various critical needs of their increasingly urban, technologically-savvy and diverse constituencies. We have seen how libraries continue to evolve to meet the needs of their client base and this will continue to be the case. The only question is how to prioritize the diverse needs of the community within a single entity. Assuming a current trend of increasing processing power, sophistication in consumer electronics, and the demand for mobile content, some future functions I see public libraries fulfilling: