BFTP: Yesterday's libraries, tomorrow's libraries

I am working on a short recorded presentation for a school on "future" libraries. I am thinking this may be the format. Join in...

1. Yesterday's libraries were all about books.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about readers.

2. Yesterday's libraries were all about getting information.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about creating and sharing information.

3. Yesterday's libraries were all about silent individuals.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about active groups.

4. Yesterday's libraries were all about term papers.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about multimedia projects.

5. Yesterday's libraries were all about bricks and mortar, tables and shelves.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about online services, digital resources.

6. Yesterday's libraries were all about teaching how to find information.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about teaching how to evaluate and use information .

7. Yesterday's libraries were all about having program goals.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about helping students, teachers and schools meet their goals.

8. Yesterday's libraries were all about being directed by a professional librarian.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about developing whole-school ownership.

9. Yesterday's libraries were all about organizing information by a set of rules.
    Tomorrow's libraries will be all about helping users organize information in ways that make sense to them.

10. Yesterday's libraries were all about being copyright enforcers.
     Tomorrow's libraries will be all about being intellectual property counselors.

11. Yesterday's libraries were all about order, rules and policies.
      Tomorrow's libraries will be all about comfort, service and meeting individual needs.

12. Yesterday's libraries were all about developing print literacy.
     Tomorrow's libraries will be all about developing multiple literacies - print, auditory, visual.

This means today's libraries are all about..

• Transition
• Exploration
• Planning
• Survival
• Optimism
• Opportunities

Or they'd better be if there are to be libraries tomorrow.

Oh, the picture is of a proposed library design. Really, really. See, all digital libraries don't look so bad after seeing that thing!

Original post March 2, 2010