What does the future have in store for libraries, in particular, rural libraries and what will the regional library board have to do to support them? That is the question we were attempting to answer yesterday at a strategic planning session that I attended. I was really wishing that I hadn’t lent out my crystal ball, because I sure could have used it today! As all incarnations of media are struggling to find their place in an increasingly digital world it stands to reason that libraries will have to stretch beyond their traditional role of book repositories and keepers of information. What will the role of the rural library be 5 years from now and beyond? Without my crystal ball I can only guess…
With my cell phone in hand, I have access to more information than I would have ever found at my local library when I was a child (or probably even today). The problem today is not a lack of resources, it is a problem of seemingly limitless information. There needs to be a movement away from information retrieval towards information synthesis. We need help distilling the mountains of information into a molehill!
The digitization of all types of media (print, video, audio, etc) is increasing exponentially and libraries need to keep ahead of the trend. Today I went to pick up a hold for my 8 year old daughter. She had ordered Harry Potter on Audio book. I took one look at the 18 CD collection and promptly sent it back. We don’t have a “discman” for her to listen to them on and I’m not about to rip 18 CD’s in order to load them on her MP3. With other devices such as the Kindle and other e-book readers emerging we need to prepare to meet the needs of patrons embracing these new (not so new?) technologies in order to stay relevant.
If e-books (and readers) and various other digital media readers continue to rise in popularity will that make the need for a brick and mortar library obsolete? If libraries continue in their current incarnation it might. They need to reinvent themselves as “vibrant community learning and information centres”. A hub of the community where people gather in a social ( and learning) environment. Some suggested we needed to open a Starbucks in each library — and I think they were only half kidding!
As e-learning opportunities continue to rise, libraries have to be responsive to the needs within their communities. Act as a bridge between the post-secondary institution programing and the members of the community that require access to those programs. There is an untapped resource of members in our communities who would like to futher their studies but because of various factors, such as family life, cannot move away to pursue their education. Facilitation of these connections should be a part of a rural libraries mandate.
It is an exciting time in the evolution of libraries. The opportunities for expansion of services are fascinating especially in a rural setting, however I’m not sure we are in a position to capitalize on the opportunities at hand. The majority of participants in our session yesterday were adamant that the “traditional book” will always be valued above any digitized version, most didn’t know what a Kindle/e-book reader was, even more lamented that “once a kid gets on the computer we’ve lost them”. Councillors, trustees, librarians and citizens need to be made aware of the changes in media, education, and content delivery that are happening right now before we can map a plan for the future.
There is sure to be struggles ahead as we try to strike a balance between the traditional role of a library and the new possibilities for growth and revitalization but it is a struggle worth undertaking to ensure that rural communities continue to realize benefits from their local library. What will the future of your library be? A community gathering place? E-learning centre? On-line resource portal? Early literacy centre? Teen hang-out? Seniors outreach? E-book download site? Without my crystal ball I can’t tell but I can guarantee it’s not just about books anymore.
