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Re-Envisioning Public Libraries
By karen | October 30, 2014
The Aspen Institute has just released Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries, the culmination of the year-long Dialogue on Public Libraries. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Dialogue brought together librarians, policymakers, technology experts and others to explore the evolving role of libraries in the 21st century.
The report identifies three key assets that libraries are built on: people, place and platform. In addition, it identifies four strategies for success:
- Aligning library services in support of community goals
- Providing access to content in all formats
- Ensuring the long-term sustainability of public libraries
- Cultivating leadership
The report is presented to engage both the library community and those outside the library community in meaningful dialogue to “help advance the work that libraries are doing to address community challenges and to support the transformation of communities and their public libraries in the digital age.” It includes case studies and action steps for various stakeholder groups.
The report is available online at the Aspen Institute’s Dialogue on Public Libraries website. You can download the entire 80 page report at the bottom of the page, or read it section by section online. If you only have time to read a small part, check out the brief Executive Summary.
Topics: Future of Libraries, News & Information | Comments Off on Re-Envisioning Public Libraries
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