21 Ideas for 21st Century Libraries

Kimberly Bolan and Robert Cullin
Evanced Solutions

Library 2.0

• Library centered around the customer
• New look & feel
• New services, materials, processes, programming, marketing and more

What is a 21st century library?

• Color
• Flexibility, portability
• Activity

Ideas:

1. Library as a Third Place (Oldenburg, R., The Great Good Place, 1999)
2. Function and Flexibility - furniture on wheels that can be moved around
3. Multifunctional, Zoned Children's Spaces
4. Thriving Teen Centers
5. Gathering Spaces
6. The Browseable Library
7. Good signage & way finding
8. Green libraries
9. Connecting Inside with Outside
10. Put the Customer First
    • "It's not about "us", it's about "them"
11. New Staff Models
    • How do we get new types of people in libraries?
    • We need people who like people, not books
    • Hire for attitude, train for skill
12. "People Policies"
13. Being more Business Minded
    • Business minded, but balanced by community needs; non-promit does NOT mean non-revenue; ROI isn't everything, but needs to be in the decision matrix
14. Multi-age governance
15. Collaboration, Parternships & Outreach
16. Demise of Big Service Desks
17. Supported Self-Service
18. Customer Convience
19. Rethinking Tradition (Technology)
    • Laptops instead of labs
    • UK Technobooth
20. Enhanced communication
    • Voceraphone
21. Virtual Spaces