1. The Future of
Libraries
Searching
for the
Deep Field
Ellyssa Kroski

2. Agenda
• Current State of Libraries
• New Challenges & Competition
• Future Proof Libraries
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–
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–
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Respond to New Expectations
Meet dwindling budgets with new revenue sources
Embrace new and emerging technologies
Watch trends
Re-invent themselves and their library spaces
Create with their communities
Their Librarians are agents of change
Can Prove the ROI of the library

3. Is Library Use Decreasing?

4. • According to a report from Center for an Urban
Future, In Fiscal Year 2011, 40.5 million people
visited NYC’s public libraries, more than all of the
city’s professional sports teams and major cultural
institutions combined.
• According to IMLS report released January 2013
based on survey data collected in 2010
– Public libraries served 297.6 million people out of a total
U.S. population of more than 308.7 million in that year
– Circulation increased to 2.46 billion materials, the highest
ever reported.
• According to a 2011 Harris Poll Quorum, 62% of
Americans hold library cards and 65% had visited a
library in the last year

5. Are Libraries Disappearing?

6. There are more public libraries (about 17,000) in
America than McDonalds (about 14,000) or
Starbucks (about 11,000 coffee shops nationally)
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/06/everylibrary-and-museum-america-mapped/5826

7. The Question is for how long?

8. Libraries are Closing, Hours Reduced

9. Library Budgets Decreasing
• Revenue for US public libraries went down 3.5
percent from FY 2009. Adjusting for inflation,
the loss amounts to $407.79 million.

10. Changes in Information Consumption
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Online
On-Demand
Digital Media– eBooks, streaming video
DIY (Do-It-Yourself)
BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device)
Ubiquitous Access - Mobile
Information is Social

11. New Competition
Traditional Library Roles

• Information Organization

• Resource Recommendations 
• Preservation

• The Library Collection

New Competition
Google Search
Amazon Reviews, GoodReads
Amazon and the “long tail”
Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Hulu

12. Cost Comparison
Digital Content Providers
•
•
•
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Annual Costs
Amazon Prime
 $79 per household
Netflix
 $95.88 per household
Hulu
 $100 per household
US taxes for public libraries  $101.03 per household

13. High Stakes
Failure to Accept That Content
Going Digital & On-Demand
Failure to Accept That Content Going
Online, Social, Democratized

14. HOW DO WE FUTURE-PROOF OUR
LIBRARIES?

15. The most important image ever taken
Hubble Deep Field
Was captured because someone took a chance on
what looked like nothing.

16. Future-Proof Libraries…
RESPOND TO NEW EXPECTATIONS

17. They don’t “wait and see”…
they “learn and do”.

18. Future-Proof Libraries…
MEET DWINDLING BUDGETS WITH
NEW REVENUE SOURCES

19. New Revenue Sources
• Buy-it-Now Option
• Selling Air Rights
• Selling underperforming
branches
• Leasing library space to
coffee shops, etc.
• Kickstarter

20. Cost-Saving New Models for Libraries
• Access vs. Ownership
• Shared Ownership
• Patron-Driven Acquisitions

21. Future-Proof Libraries…
EMBRACE NEW AND EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES

22. Mobile Social Applications

23. Cloud Computing

24. On-Demand Digital Content

25. On-Demand Digital Content

26. e-Books
Amazon now sells more Kindle titles than
print books
33% of Americans own a digital reading
device of some kind (eReader or tablet)
According to IDC, 52.5 million tablets were
sold in the final quarter of 2012
Over 22.9 million iPads sold in Q4 of 2012
By 2015, Americans are predicted to spend $3
billion on eBooks

27. of academic libraries
of public libraries
of school libraries
…are offering e-Books

28. Responsive Web Design

29. Mobile Wallets
and the library card?

30. Mobile Wallets
Square Wallet
Google Wallet

31. Augmented Reality
London Tube
Nearest Wiki
Ludwig II

32. Wearable Technology

34. Data

35. Data

36. Future-Proof Libraries…
WATCH TRENDS

37. Gartner’s Hype Cycle of Emerging Technologies

38. Horizon Report on Emerging Tech in
Higher Education

39. Pew Internet & American Life Project

40. Library Journal’s Patron Profiles

41. Future-Proof Libraries…
RE-INVENT THEMSELVES AND THEIR
LIBRARY SPACES

42. Makerspaces

43. 3D Printers

44. Community Spaces

45. The Information Commons

46. Green & Sustainable

47. Bookless Libraries

48. Future-Proof Libraries…
THEIR LIBRARIANS ARE AGENTS OF
CHANGE

49. The Future Librarian
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Information Filter
Information Organizer
Information Aggregator
Information Evaluator &
Recommender
• Information Instructor
Source: LibraryScienceList.com

50. New Roles
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Project Management
Information Technology
Knowledge Management
Emerging Technologies
GIS
Website Management
Digital Repositories
Electronic Resources Management
Online Community Management
Building/Space Management

51. Future-Proof Libraries…
CAN PROVE THE ROI OF THE
LIBRARY

52. Provide Metrics/Data

53. Communicate Value

54. Get Press

55. Market Your Services onSocial Media

56. Make Yourself Visible/Build Relationships

57. Write Articles & Blog Posts

58. Speak at Conferences

59. Slideshare Spreads the Word

60. Reduce the Budget Line

61. Offer Added Value

62. What will you discover?

63. Access this Presentation
• Slides:
http://www.slideshare.net/ellyssa
• eBook:
Ellyssa Kroski on Amazon