Taking the Temperature of a Profession: Libraries in 2023

There has been much talk of the existence of a new normal since the pandemic began, because libraries have had to pivot and adjust in many different ways. We aren’t sure how things will look as the world continues to emerge from COVID’s grip; from conversations I’ve had, I’d say there’s a new normal in some ways, but a back-to-normal situation is more common. Libraries are still dealing with issues of funding, providing adequate digital access, and the public trying to tell them what they can and can’t offer their patrons. I wanted to take the temperature of a variety of types of libraries across the U.S. and Canada to see what library workers are looking forward to, what challenges they expect to face, and what other predictions they have for 2023. I reached out to institutions in all 50 states and all of the Canadian provinces, and these are the responses I received. I…