The Future of Libraries

Have you checked out www.libraryfutures.ca yet? This site was created by a group of Alberta librarians during the planning of NEXT: A Library Futures Symposium. A number of Chinook Arch staff, board members and member library trustees attended this unique conference in October. The purpose of the symposium was to have a discussion about the future of libraries in Alberta. It included 5 keynote speakers and a full day of roundtable discussions - world cafe style.

This website came out of the imagined outcomes of the Symposium - a website that could be used to continue the discussion that would begin during the NEXT Symposium; a website that would be open to a broader audience, and that could be used to showcase the efforts of Alberta's libraries. As such, it is an excellent resource for learning, sharing and provoking discussion around the future of libraries.

The 'Learn' part of the site includes resources for you to learn what this is all about. Access articles, papers, videos, podcasts and more to learn about the futures thinking concept, or just see what people are talking about when they talk #libfu (#libfu is the 'tag' people use when tweeting or blogging about this topic).

The 'Share' section of the site is where you can take part in the discussion. Comment on articles, vote on polls, explore library futures questions, or participate in the discussion forum.

If you want to 'provoke' site participants, become a member so that you can post new content. Perhaps you've thought of something that hasn't even been mentioned yet. Don't be afraid to share! That's what this site is all about.

The site also contains content from the NEXT Symposium if you are interested in learning more about what went on there. Photos, discussion topics and even keynote speaker videos are available.

The site is a great way to get thinking 'outside the box'.