FutureLibrary

Dusty Old Library or Community Hub? June 16, 2009

What should libraries be in the business of? Entertainment, physical activity, information, training? How about all of these things and more. So long as a public library follows the guidelines of the Library Act and remains elligible for grants, why not.

The library of the future will be a community hub, not just a gateway to information. What shall we call this new institution? The Hub, The Nexis, The Community Centre? I don’t know. That’s for another post. Here’s a few ideas about what activities may be included here. Some of which may already be implemented elsewhere now.

How about having  pay television piped through to screens throughout the library. And not just educational. When there is a sports event on, get the male members of society on side, turn it on and watch them rock in. Voila, you have just captured a segment of society that would otherwise have been lost forever.

A coffee shop is a must. Why have your customers go out to get their caffeine when you could pocket the money?

A games room. This could include board games such as monopoly, and electronic devices such as Wii.

A fitness centre. A few treadmills, basic weight equipment, video screens, etc.

You can see where this is going to. The “library” will no longer be the place you have to go to get your darn homework done. It is a community hub. Where people are not forced to come and feel uncomfortable. They can be loud if they like, of course away from the designated quiet areas. It is a place for social and technological interaction, plus you can pay your rates, have a coffee and watch the news while the wife brings the kids to a children’s storytime.

Of course many libraries are constrained by the phyical layout of their present structures. Building a new library or extending costs a motza. In that case, take the baby steps approach and do what you can.