From: Don Beagle <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 10:48:04 +0000
Given the broad scope of ALA's upcoming Symposium on the Future of
Libraries, this might be an opportune time & place to note that 2018 will
mark the 40th anniversary of the occasion when sci-fi author and futurist
Isaac Asimov accepted an invitation to address the Governor's Conference on
Libraries in NC's Research Triangle. His topic, "Of Past & Future
Libraries," effectively foreshadowed the remarkable changes over the next
four decades. That was the 1st conference I attended in my 1st year out of
grad school, so I carefully preserved my audiocassette of his talk over
intervening years. Now converted to a digital audio file, we've just posted
it online as the first entry in our new Digital Humanities Project
LibGuides page at Belmont Abbey College.
While Asimov in 1978 accurately anticipated the potential of innovations
like modulated lasers over optical fiber and the essential role of a
worldwide computer network to cope with knowledge growth & information
overload, it is also interesting to note how his vision as a futurist was
shaped by models dominant in his day. His view of a worldwide library-based
computer network was clearly shaped by the centralized mainframe / terminal
paradigm, and for the most part, did not anticipate the sort of
participatory peer networking we all take for granted. But even those
"misses" can be instructive to us now in trying to anticipate where we
might go from here.
For any interested listeners:
http://belmontabbeycollege.libguides.com/dighumanities/asimov
*--Don*
Donald Beagle
Director of Library Services
Belmont Abbey College
100 Belmont – Mt. Holly Rd.
Belmont, NC 28012-1802
Voice: 704.461.6740 <(704)%20461-6740>
Fax: 704.461.6743 <(704)%20461-6743>
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*From:* LibLicense-L Discussion Forum [[log in to unmask]] on
behalf of LIBLICENSE [[log in to unmask]]
*Sent:* Wednesday, September 13, 2017 9:37 PM
*To:* [log in to unmask]
*Subject:* Re: The future of libraries
From: Ramune Kubilius <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2017 17:49:54 +0000
Hi,
There is plenty to say on this topic…For example, proposals are now being
accepted for the ALA Midwinter (Feb. 2018 in Denver, CO) 3 day Symposium on
the Future of Libraries, sponsored by the Center for the Future of Libraries
<http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/future>. It will “exploring the
near-term trends already inspiring innovation in academic, public, school,
and special libraries and the longer-term trends that will help us adapt to
the needs of our communities…”
See: http://2018.alamidwinter.org/symposium-proposal
One can argue, though, that it isn’t just about the “needs of our
communities”, though that is an important ultimate goal, but also the needs
(expectations) of our funders, administrations, etc.
Ramune Kubilius
Galter Health Sciences Library
Northwestern University
*From:* LibLicense-L Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
*On Behalf Of *LIBLICENSE
*Sent:* Tuesday, September 12, 2017 7:25 PM
*To:* [log in to unmask]
*Subject:* Re: The future of libraries
From: "Holland, Claudia" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:12:31 +0000
“Will a university administration look coldly at some of those activities
and ask the library to do the job with fewer resources?”
We’re already there, Joe.
Libraries (& librarians) have reinvented themselves repeatedly but
particularly since the advent of the internet. In short, if you don’t like
change you’d better not pursue librarianship. We’re a much more resilient
bunch than we used to be, by choice or by force.
Claudia Holland
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