Library future

I just attended a workshop where former Hamilton Public Library CEO Ken Roberts spoke about the future of libraries.  I found it really interesting.  Here are some highlights I wanted to capture:

• Apparently, public libraries are really growing in China and there is lots of library innovation happening there.  Apparently science fiction has become popular there, with the government lifting past restrictions based on their observations of how important science fiction is in Silicon Valley style culture.
• The old model of content consumption and individual learning is giving way to more content creation and group learning.  This would seem to fit in with the "learning commons" model of school library which is happening in Alberta.  It also seems to connect with community engagement.
• "Meet you at the library" as a vision statement - if you can get people to say that, you have truly become a living community space.
• Under 5% of library funding comes from non-government fundraising sources, and that is the case everywhere.
• The trend towards library staff out from behind a desk requires that they be identifiable - badges, vests, buttons, corporate shirts, whatever it takes.
• "Hang out, geek out and mess around" - Chicago Public Library's model for teen learning in its media center.  Hang out meaning people working together, geek out meaning having a knowledgeable peer transfer knowledge, and mess around meaning just fiddling with the technology to figure it out.
• Sometimes leaders enable others rather than controlling the process.  (Amen.)
• Author: John McNight, "Building community needs from the inside out: a guide to finding and mobilizing a community's assets" - outlines what communities can do to develop their own local assets.