Public libraries everywhere are being confronted with the reality that they need to change. The pressure to change is coming from some sectors of our communities, especially those that have embraced information technology, which is growing and changing at exponential rates. As those of us in the profession know, public libraries are more than places to check out books, videos, and audio CDs. In addition, the rich tradition of sharing and connecting people with information is what has anchored libraries for decades as community cultural and education centers.
Some public libraries have embraced change much more willingly and thus have become beacons of what the future public library might become. Consider the success of the AnyThink Libraries in Colorado; The Idea Stores in London; the Discovery Centers in England; DOKK1 in Aarhus, Denmark; and the shopping center libraries in Singapore to name just a few of the more visible examples.
Yes, many communities hold on to the concept of the traditional “book warehouse” library and hinder the local library’s ability to create flexible change. This sense of nostalgia, a harkening back to the “good old days,” is holding back the library from trying out new concepts such as digital learning labs, makerspaces, and creating collaborative spaces for teens or entrepreneurs. As John Palfrey noted in his book BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google
Those who care deeply about the future of libraries are likely too rely on the deep nostalgia about libraries rather than take risks and invest now in a bright future. The temptation to rely on nostalgia is understandable. Survey after survey, anecdote after anecdotal encounter, shows us that people “love libraries.” Just as we all love the memory of the childhood experience, we love the idea of libraries in general. Often it feels like a patronizing sort of love. Libraries must create new nostalgia…The purpose of renewed investments in libraries should be to establish new services and ways of discovering and accessing knowledge. [p. 214]
Public libraries can and in many cases are more than a warehouse of books. Libraries create spaces for people who want a community environment to work and think. Libraries provide spaces for people to share, learn, create, and collaborate. Libraries must become much more aggressive about conveying the messages that libraries are in the process of changing and evolving.
My primary concern with the evolution of public libraries is the pace of change. John P. Kotter in his wonderful book A Sense of Urgency persuasively argues that the pace of change is too slow in most organizations. As we transition to a world where change is constant – not just episodic – urgency must become a core, sustained capability in every public library. The question for you is “Are you and your fellow library staff members moving with a sense of urgency?”