First, a little background. I am working with a spectacular group of professional librarians and I asked them for ideas of where the local library would be in 5 or 10 years. I took the many responses and looked for similarities, and the most mentioned topic was related to place - the library facility and other locations to do the work of librarying. The following scenario is one idea taking those ideas and my own to a possible future, focusing on place. I'm not saying this is what we should or must do, this is just one possible storyline. I want this description of place to help people think beyond the current situation -- not with incremental changes but with major changes. Will these things happen? They already are somewhere.
The library trustees and director saw the usage of library facilities rising, through good times and bad, and decided to act on the community's demand for more meeting space. Although the main facility had been renovated within the past ten years, some modifications were made to increase the number of meeting rooms to handle diverse clients. Additional small group meeting rooms were created, and these have been used enough to require time limits to be enforced. The rooms are used by students working on projects or group study at nights and on weekends. Also at those same times, people are using these rooms for video and audio conferences through their laptops, for their work or their interests. During the work week, the rooms see usage from local residents that work out of their homes, such as sales people and engineers, to provide a local space with printing and internet access, and a chance sit through lunch, which you don't get at Panera without ordering.
As part of the space reorganization, the library also upgraded the technology in the larger meeting rooms. This allows these rooms to be used for professional quality meetings and has, in fact, drawn some users away from holding meetings at local hotels.
The library staff has also worked to extend the physical reach of the library beyond the walls of the facility. Starting with showcasing the collection and signing up patrons at the French Market, the library expanded to provide "pop-up" locations in partnership with local businessmen. One successful temporary library was opened in a retail mall near a local middle school, about 2 miles from the library, in an unrented retail space. The site was the location for a combination group study hall and science fair workshop, staffed by librarians and school volunteers, including a shelf of material to check out and for reference, and wifi for the students. The location started as a study area for quarter finals, changed to a workshop area, and then became the science fair showcase in the three months it was in existence. The costs were minimal but covered in part through grants.
Another way the library extended it's physical presence was through partnership with local hotels, schools, municipal buildings, major companies, restaurants, and local museums. The library took the lead to document meeting areas throughout the district that could possibly be used by the public. Through this knowledge the library was able to recommend to local groups where meeting sites could be used. The library was able to work out reciprocal arrangements with room providers, funded in part through the local convention bureau. The Boy Scouts meeting at the Hyatt? Why not? A lawyers convention using Village Hall's meeting room for a mock trial? Why not? The library maintaining the information and agreements? Who else?
The library also saw an unfulfilled need for a place for technology training for people throughout the area. The room was upgraded in technology and in furniture to provide for a computer training environment. Laptops are available to be networked for a training class in this room, or computers can be brought in through a service firm contracted to the library. The room is used for library programs to teach patrons computer and internet skills, but is also often used by local businesses to provide group computer training. The room has even been used by local businesses who have had issues with their facilities (flood, fire) to provide training.
The library's mission of maintaining local history has also pointed the library to jointly staff the local historical society's museum and to provide a historical display showcasing the holdings of the library. This kind of interactive display has also been used for short periods of time at local schools and business lobbies, to inform even people who may only be in town for their education or work that the library can provide services that could be useful.
Other place ideas: automated Redbox-type machine for books at train station and elsewhere, Redbox partnership on facility to reduce expenses on new DVDs, expansion for meeting rooms and other popular uses...
Next up, either Funding and Political Organization or Technology, TBD. Technology was the focus of most writeups from the local professional librarians we surveyed. Surprisingly, funding was not the main focus of any -- maybe because it is more difficult to think about.
