In the article, To a temporary place in time.... written by Dr. Wendy Schultz, she states that the current trends will continue to change and that we (libraries) need to keep the "...people and meaning at the center of our concerns." She writes about the possible FUTURE stages of libraries:
Library 1.--Commodity: The collection of printed materials made available free to all who venture through the library doors. Librarians serve as guides in the library.
Library 2.--Product: Where libraries have no walls. Information is available both in and out of the local libraries. Yet, the patron will still need a guide on how to search for the information they seek.
Library 3.0--Web 3D to Library 3D--Service: Where information is shared via 3D or in a "virtual reality" world. But still, the information seekers will need a guide and librarians can continue to help patrons find what they are searching for. The difference may be that patrons look for and use librarians who are listed with the best ratings or the most stars for their services!
Libarary 4.0--The neo-library--Experience: Where Library 1.0 through Library 3.0 will be included. Yet, the 4.0 libraries will be places where patrons will be allowed relaxation, mind travel, knowledge gathering, luxorious surroundings, etc. And the librarians will still be needed to guide patrons through the experiences.
I wrote a brief article for my monthly bulletin that said that "Don’t get me wrong. Books are critical to student literacy. At the Scholastic Book Summit in Phoenix AZ, Feb. 9-10, 2009, we heard from Pedro Noguera, Alan Sitomer, and Dr. Alfred Tatum about the critical role of literacy to academic achievement and the critical role of books in achieving literacy. However, if we create a space that is fundamentally irrelevant to our students, how are we going to get books in their hands? "
ReplyDeleteI think that is what it comes down to.
Ann