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Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. And with even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? In this systematic attempt to speak to academic and public librarians about the future of library services, Hernon and Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders. Anyone interested in the future of libraries, especially library managers, will be engaged and stimulated as the contributors:
- Examine the current state of the library, summarizing existing literature on the topic to sketch in historical background
- Project into the future, using SWOT analysis, environmental scans, and other techniques to posit how library infrastructure (such as staff, collections, technology, and facilities) can adapt in the decades ahead
- Construct potential scenarios that library leaders can use to forge paths for their own institutions.
The collection of knowledge and practical wisdom in this book will help academic and public libraries find ways to honour their missions while planning for the broader institutional changes already underway.
Readership: Library managers, academic and public librarians, LIS students and academics and anyone interested in the future of libraries.
Hernon and Matthews are quick to point out that these scenarios are not exhaustive and may or may not be applicable to one’s own library. What is continually emphasised is that failure to consider and prepare for the future of the library will result in library closures. Though focused on academic and public libraries, the argument could easily be adapted for special and school libraries. As such it is almost mandatory reading for any librarian who wants to ensure the survival of her library, be it an academic, public, special or school library.
1. Change—major to minor
- Fundamental Change
- Some Important Trends
- Creating the Library Compass
- Concluding Thoughts
2. Building a path to the future
- Environmental Scanning Reports
- Concluding Thoughts
3. Transforming the future
- Impetus
- Identifying Trends
- Building Scenarios
- Transformation
- Concluding Thoughts
4. Related literature
- Scenario Planning
- Some Key Writings
- Use of Scenarios in General
- Writings Relevant to Academic Libraries
- Writings Relevant to Public Libraries
- Concluding Thoughts
5. Future views of academic libraries
- Higher Education
- Trends in Academic Libraries
- Unfamiliarity with Libraries and the Role of Librarians
- Exploring the Use of Different Scenarios
- Six Academic Library Scenarios
- Extending the Scenarios beyond Fifteen Years
- Concluding Thoughts
6. Perspectives on trends and scenarios: academic libraries
- Scholarly Communication and Liberal Arts College Libraries - Richard Fyffe
- Scholarly Communication and the Role of the Liberal Arts College Library - Diane J. Graves
- Toward Building an Embedded Academic Library: The Case of Shaping Drexel University
- Libraries Spaces - Danuta A. Nitecki
- Revisiting the Scenarios through Space Planning - Robert E. Dugan
- Concluding Thoughts
7. Future views of public libraries
- Public Library Association Planning Process
- Scenarios and Public Libraries
- Out-of-the-Box Thinking
- Concluding Thoughts
8. Perspectives on trends and scenarios: public libraries
- Scenario One: The “Status Quo” Library
- Scenario Two: The Community “Living Room”
- Scenario Three: The “Electronic” Library
- Scenario Four: The “Happening Place” Library
- Comments on the Scenarios
9. Preparing for the future: some final thoughts
- Leadership
- Staff Abilities for the Present and Future
- Currents in Scenario Development
- Privatizing Libraries
- Libraries Merely Trying to Keep Up
- Revisiting Space Planning
- Issues of Importance to the Broader Organization
- Concept of Scenarios Revisited
- Concluding Thoughts
Appendix A: The Use of Scenarios in the Pierce County Library System - Neel Parikh
Appendix B: The Anythink Revolution - Pam Sandlian-Smith