My vision of library services is a vision of partnership, between librarians, clients, patrons and stakeholders. We began as gatekeepers, progressed to intermediaries, and are now in the era of ‘value-added information’. In the future, the transition to partnership, where we really should be, will be realised.
Academic librarians will partner in the academy by being part of research teams – they will be involved in research grants, data gathering, and the publishing process. Many libraries will be publishers. Librarians of the future will need to have skills in data mining and GIS. Some of this has already begun, but by 2010 it will be ubiquitous.
My vision isn’t a radical one, but I hope that it’s an achievable one, and closer than we think.
Edit: image added. Radiohead graphic shamlessly redrawn by me, in Gimp with tablet.
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May 13, 2007 at 21:17
Tell you what Fiona, how about you head up the “Services to Researchers” section of 2010 Academic Library and I’ll head up the “Services to Courseworkers” section? Together our visions could make a complete service.
May 14, 2007 at 08:21
You’re on!
Perhaps I should work on a picture of my vision to match yours
May 16, 2007 at 12:57
I love the picture
You using a Tablet PC too Fi?
May 16, 2007 at 13:57
Yup! A little wacom I got in Japan a couple of years ago.