Strategic, Digital, Human: The Library of the Future. A View on International Developments by a German Library Supplier

The author would like to thank Dr. Glen Holt for his wonderful and inspiring help during the work on this article, his friends at the Public Libraries International Network (PLIN), his former colleagues at the Bertelsmann Foundation Germany and the ekz.bibliotheksservice as well as its Advisory Board.

Abstract

The library of the future will survive if it is able to adapt and respond quickly to technological and demographic changes and shifting user needs. But what do the users want from the library of the future? To answer this question, this article reports the results of a study related to user expectations regarding library services, the need for a strategic services plan drawn from it and the role of digital services as well as human librarians in the future. This article is based on an ever‐changing presentation the author has delivered to library leaders and workers in Germany and internationally.

Keywords:

• future
• strategy
• digital
• virtual
• competencies
• physical
• place

Notes

The author would like to thank Dr. Glen Holt for his wonderful and inspiring help during the work on this article, his friends at the Public Libraries International Network (PLIN), his former colleagues at the Bertelsmann Foundation Germany and the ekz.bibliotheksservice as well as its Advisory Board.

1. Like in the German project “Bibliothekskonzeption” (“Library Concepts”), where more than 100 public libraries are developing individual strategy plans.

2. Köster, Winifried: Weniger, älter, bunter: Wieder demographische Wandel Deutschland verändert. (Less, older, multicolored: How the Demographic Change is altering Germany) 1. Ed. Munich: Olzog, 2006.

3. Mai, Ralf: Demographic Change in Europe, 2007. See http://www.arl‐net.de/pdf/veranst/demographic_change/Mai.pdf

4. The abbreviation “ekz” stands for the German word Einkaufszentrale = Shopping Center, see http://www.ekz.de/?L=1

5. Äng, Das, Dobbie, Kent: The Public Library – Idea, Cyberplace, Physical Presence, 2001. See http://www.public‐libraries.net/html/x_media/pdf/cyberplace_physicalpresence.pdf

6. The “Spiegel” (“Mirror”) is Germany's leading weekly magazine

7. ARD/ZDF: Internet überholt Fernsehen, 2009. See http://www.connect.de/connect‐Forum/internet/5393‐ard‐zdf‐internet‐berholt‐fernsehen.html

8. Statistisches Bundesamt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Bevölkerung Deutschlands bis 2050, 2006. See http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Navigation/Publikationen/Fachveroeffentlichungen/Bevoelkerung,templateId=renderPrint.psml__nnn=true