Here is an interesting article:
To add to Duncan's anxiety of what the image of the
library:
"My old self is tempted to say we’re taking the
library out of the library – that is my concept of the library is very book/information
centric. But my inquiring-mind self is grasping for an understanding of
what it is the library becoming as books are less-and-less the
center? What is the image or concept that one conjures up that is
different from book stacks when they hear the word library?"
I don't want to add to the anxiety level, but the article
below has some interesting insights as to how academic libraries should
approach the future of academic libraries:
I found this one section of particular interest:
Startups are about building a platform,
not necessarily
profit. Obviously for businesses, financial validation is necessary for
survival, but the incubation stage is more about trying to develop good ideas
into working models. The film The Social Network provides a dramatic
representation of this situation. The co-founders of Facebook ponder its
future. One of them wants to monetize right away, while the other insists, “We
don’t even know what it is yet.” That’s where we are with the future of
academic libraries. We’re still in the early stages of our next evolution. It’s
too early to know what libraries will become, but we know they’ll never be the same.
Rather than getting bogged down with a definition, the time is ideal for
launching new products, programs, and partnerships. The library is not a
building, a website, or a person; it is a platform for scholars, students,
cultural enthusiasts, and others who want to absorb and advance knowledge.
Enjoy!
