I've become a big fan of my local public library despite its lack of selection. But whenever I walk in there I see all the dozen or so computers occupied and few people browsing the books. This brings up a conversation that I don't claim to be the originator of: What will the mission of libraries be in a world of changing media?
Libraries are no stranger to changing media. The only constant has been the printed book. But even that is starting to slip. The last twenty years has introduced changes in media that can only be described as revolutionary. Who now can remember micrographs?
Its not the mission of a library to keep printed books in vogue. Certainly they're aesthetically pleasing. But a library is there to disseminate knowledge. But they also can't be glorified, free Internet cafes. So the challenge of the modern library is how to balance these various factors while remaining flexible and open to new developments.
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