The library of the future barely resembles the library of the past. Today’s libraries cease to be the hallowed temples of book-bound knowledge protected by an army of (albeit welcoming and helpful) guards. No longer are libraries the gatekeepers of access to information. This centuries-old tradition was usurped by the smart phone and our Internet-everywhere culture. This transition led to predictions of the slow demise of the library.
And yet the library is more relevant than ever. It represents our shared faith in the ideals of an educated democracy and the opportunity for self-improvement. It’s where beliefs are shared, values debated, and new knowledge created. Libraries fulfill a new vision—community kitchens for experimentation with new ideas, problem solving and entrepreneurship, and creating experiences that turn consumers into producers, passions into careers, and voices into actions.