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:

• Fully immersive virtual reality experiences formerly known as “choose your own adventure” novels. 
• Wirelessly downloadable E-Books to a variety of institutionally supported “personal digital assistants.” 
• Computer systems that interact with users handheld devices that communicate user preferences and automatically locate “standard catalog” items that users are seeking using site-specific gps or other personal navigation systems.
• 2^nd Tier Electronic Reference Services with sophisticated voice recognition systems that can understand basic reference questions in a variety of languages.
• 3^rd Tier In-person Reference Services for users needing assistance with unique research problems not understood by the 1^st and 2^nd Tier Services
• Teen activities that might include full-body sensor gaming simulations that keep teens fit because of a high degree of physical skill is involved in operating the game simulations (think Wii Fit 30 years or 60 software generations from now)
• Support of virtual library information reference kiosks in major public areas such as transit centers, tourist locations and other established cultural institutions.

The Library as Place:

In our present time, the pressures of real estate and the associated costs of maintaining a physical location seem to imply the loss of the library as a physical space; in the future the space requirement will be seen as insignificant in comparison with the return on investment that libraries provide.  Communities require public space for face to face collaboration and social discovery. However space allocated to libraries will focus on human needs with collections held in remotely accessible locations retrievable through automated systems, reserving traditional library tech work for tasks requiring complex processing, decision-making, and human manual dexterity. 

Social interaction:

In our current time, I’ve long been puzzled how people seem to ignore each other in public spaces, even when in close physical proximity to others.  People sit in isolation on laptops and listening to music in an attempt to buffer the social anxiety caused by an addiction to work and lack of proper rest and relaxation.  In the future, adequate use of “rest and relaxation time” will be seen as socially beneficiary.  People will be discouraged from becoming workaholics.  In my ideal future, people in public spaces like libraries will be encouraged to interact socially with others, both in person and in virtual community spaces based on mutual interests. 

Books:

While most people will use some form of personal digital assistant for routine textual and graphical communications, the art of book design and construction will see resurgence.  In the future, traditional “paper” will become prohibitively expensive due to the trend of conserving all biomaterial.  Books for lending will be constructed to rigorous industrial standards out of synthetic materials which defy normal wear and tear.  There will still be a market of “antiquarian” books and publishers will specialize in re-creating commemorative print editions that replicate the look and feel of today’s books.  Publishers will also specialize in highly-prized, (highly expensive) “designer” books that people will collect as high-art, heirloom-quality keepsakes.  Libraries will keep these in special collections accessible to the public by appointment slots available only by lottery, which is open to the global population.  The special collections appointment lottery will be a continued source of financial support for the libraries. 

Interior Design:

Libraries as places will be built using modular, durable materials that enable bi-annual aesthetic and technological “updates” (upgrades).  Wall, ceiling and flooring structures will be built with noise-absorption properties enabling patrons or small groups to socialize without disturbing others outside of a 3-meters radius, normal conversation will be perceived as “whispers” in decibel level.      

Special and Corporate Information Centers:

Regardless of whether corporate entities acknowledge information centers as “libraries,” the need for special libraries and special librarians (generically referred to as “analysts” persists into the future.  Corporate entities of every size and industry will discover the value of the information professional to provide a range of investigative and instructional services which enhance their overall competitiveness.  Corporate information professionals will provide in-house training, “packeted” content management delivery, analytic and competitive intelligence services.