@LibraryJournal: Public Libraries are Doomed #annoyedlibrarian http://t.co/rke0F4bH
In this editorial by the blogger Annoyed Librarian, the position taken is that libraries are doomed. I would argue that they are not so much doomed as condemned to obsolescence unless they focus on the needs of the community; do critical evaluation of their worth that can be explained in real, economic terms; be prepared to jettison outmoded thinking and bureaucratic structures that preserve status quo rather than elevate innovation; refuse to reconcile the competition for public funds with their own needs; understand that they can be leaders by not panicking but rather reflecting; know that they are doom if they continue to repeat the same mantra of “free services” without some energy behind change. I love my library and will support them as long as I can. However, I am in search of innovation–not calcification. All institutions have to change; this “essay” is yet another wake-up call. Jeffrey A Scherer, FAIA Founding Principal
