The Future of Libraries

This was an interesting compilation of articles. Rick Anderson's "Away from the Icebergs" article is somewhat simplistic and misses the "boat". The kind of library he is warning us against certainly doesn't exist here, nor do I imagine it exists anywhere. One of our biggest charges is to help people navigate the waterways of the new technologies. He would have us not teach, but just try to find simple technologies for them, that they can manage themselves. John Riemer's article "to better bibliographic services" is abolutely indecipherable. The article by Wendy Schultz on the other hand is excellent. She makes a great point when she says that "libraries are not merely in communities they are communities." Her descriptions of the evolution of community libraries shows how the library and the community and the technology sway to the same imperative, time marching onward. She also says of libraries that "they preserve and promote community memories." They hold the history of the community they are a part of. As for the future of libraries she says, "the library (of the future) is everywhere, barrier free and participatory." Our place in this future is that of a travel guide. Shepherding patrons through the changes. As an example she says, "tagclouds offer diverse connections not focused expertise."