The Future of the Library As a Place of Learning: A Personal Perspective

As the twenty-first century unfolds and we move to a new economy based not on knowledge but on ideas will the Library as a place disappear? In a connected world where users have extensive access to vast amounts of information why would they go to libraries and, more importantly, are there reasons for us to construct new library buildings in the twenty-first century? While the power of technology makes libraries more able to deliver improved services, digitization and remote access may conspire to make them irrelevant as places. However the real impact of technology is how it affects the practice of teaching and learning. The importance of creating a national learning infrastructure that benefits as many people as possible is more important than ever before for global competitiveness. Libraries focused on their contribution to learning will not merely be important places as the learning society develops but will be essential to its success. To be part of that picture, Libraries need to consider how they can support the ideas economy and provide facilities that become essential to the lives of twenty-first century learners.