By James Bikales, Harvard Political Review, October 8, 2018 https://harvardpolitics.com/harvard/the-library/
The New Library
In the future, “more libraries [will] provide open access to research for patrons outside the institutions.” Libraries that take this “inside-out” approach, rather than the traditional “outside-in,” are making the right evolution for the future, Suber argued. It allows libraries to stay relevant, even if fewer people step through their doors.
“We have aspirations to do similar things in other libraries,” Wones said. She envisions a “shared laboratory of the mind inside the library,” where students can overhear each other and bring their ideas together.
Intentional design choices set libraries apart from other potential study spaces, such as coffee shops or dorm rooms, Wones said. “The library is built for acquiring knowledge, so there’s a cognitive signal that if you’re in this space, that’s the kind of work that you’re doing,” she said.
“Our society has perhaps never been as divided as it is now, and the library can bring people together to start a discourse,” Leonard said, citing Boston Public Library programs that encourage those “who have very different opinions” to “come together.”
“There are few other spaces in society where people of all walks of life rub shoulders together. Our guiding principle of ‘free to all’ is evident in the diversity of users who walk through our doors.”
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This article helps benefit my research because it provides relevant information pertaining to why University Libraries are going through changes and what some of these changes are. It highlights key points such as collaboration and diversity among collaborators.
