By R. David Lankes
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I recently had the privilege of speaking at the National Library of Korea’s 77th Anniversary. In my talk, I argued that there is no future for libraries—instead, there are many diverse futures, futures diverse as the communities libraries are designed to serve. And in these futures, librarians shape their libraries around these unique communities, diverse in demographics, needs, capabilities, and locations.
In some places libraries will be gardens, or gaming parlors, or book palaces. In all places, libraries must be truly co-owned by the community, with librarians serving as the common point of connection between communities, part of a vibrant peer-based learning network would constantly share ideas and adapt the best for their very local needs.
I reached this conclusion over years of working with librarians across the globe:…
