I am enjoying the research and reading for in Module 7.1 and it is interesting to note that there are both bleak and optimistic outlooks in the literature on future libraries.

My emerging opinion equally built on my experience and reading, is that the future of libraries is exciting, innovative, and rich with possibility, however this is dependent on the teacher librarian and other library staff’s ability to embrace future changes. It is hard to know for definite what future libraries will look like: indeed, we can only speculate. I think the future library will not without physical books even if print collections do somewhat decrease in size. I can see how a focus on effective blending of digital resources with print resources is a key focus.

One of the optimistic articles I have read: Olson, (2022), ‘The Evolution of Libraries’, highlights how libraries are growing and becoming more popular than ever. Olson (2022), discusses how the growth of digital technologies and the lure for information access is increasing and therefore the public’s desire to want digital content from libraries in resulting in much greater library use, both virtually and physically.

The recent times of lockdowns and isolation practices due to the COVID 19 pandemic has clearly accelerated the use of online learning in education. Blended teaching has been implemented across the globe as schools were forced to shut down. This resulted in educators swinging into action, with no choice other than to be innovative and provide learning continuity to students at home. I can see how there is a much greater priority at my school for digital learning now and as a result our library is working towards smoother online access and more digital resources.

I would like to develop a central virtual library base – we do have a library online portal however it is not easy to find everything that’s in there. I think it is important in the future to ensure that digital access for students is centralised on one platform and is easy to use, 24/7. The TL of today and the future must place the user community at the heart of the library’s vision. Mills- Campbell (2022) identified that at her school, students and teachers fail to access the wide range of resources availability due to lack of familiarity and training. This is an important consideration when building a digital collection; easy access is essential. After all, there is little point in having a wonderful platform of digital resources if the user community are not aware of it and do not know how to use it.

References

Mills-Campbell, L. (2022). Digital Library Hub: Innovation during the Pandemic: Director of Libraries at Harrow International School Hong Kong, Liz Mills-Campbell, Describes How She Developed a Digital Library Hub in Response to the Challenges Posed by the Covid-19 Pandemic, with Contributions by Dr Neelam Parmar, Director of Digital Learning and Education at Harrow International Schools. School Librarian, 70(1), 1-8.

Olson, M.B. (2022). The Evolution of Libraries. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News.