Library Theme Park Concept

For thousands of years, libraries have helped pave the way for billions of people who sought knowledge, inspiration, support, safe harbor, and community. Fast forward to the 21st century and we find libraries confronting massive changes in technology and social behavior – trends that are shaking the very foundations upon which libraries were built. 

REINVENTION starts in the mind, not on a spreadsheet. It requires new thinking and the ability to imagine the art of the possible.  A reinvented library is not an institution or a destination; it’s an experience rich in knowledge and humanity, whose worth is immeasurable.

TRANSFORMATION  Libraries have all the fundamental building blocks to transform themselves to better serve the new generation of patrons. Many are still hesitant to raze the old to raise the new, but there are some shining examples of proactive institutions that proven it can be done.

DIGITAL MEDIA  In the past, libraries thought that offering a small selection of printed media along with a few select digital editions of periodicals and newspapers was sufficient to support patrons demand for local and national news content. But today’s expectations far exceed these antiquated single-source solutions.  The world of knowledge and news is now at patrons’ fingertips, and they expect unlimited, uninhibited, free access to all it has to offer through the library.

TECHNOLOGY  During the Renaissance, one of most important inventions of our time came into being – the printing press.  If not for that technology, there would be no public libraries. Today technology is advancing so fast, it’s hard to keep up with it.  Some people may feel like it is the beginning of the end for libraries, but, in fact, it is enabling the dawn of a new Renaissance.

DEMOCRACY  For over 200 years, public libraries have been bastions of democracy.  Going beyond offering free, unfettered, and equal access to information, public librarians are staunch advocates for media literacy, continually championing efforts to nurture an informed constituency that will actively participate in the democratic process.

COMMUNITIES  A study from The University of Pennsylvania reported that “public libraries are dynamic, socially responsive institutions, a nexus of diversity, and a lifeline for the most vulnerable among us.” So libraries are not only the custodians of the world’s greatest treasures, they have the power to change the world, and many of them are doing it one community at a time.

LITERACY  In a world where news fatigue is a real and growing problem, and information literacy a global concern, it’s more important than ever for people to have access to the trusted content they need. Librarians, as advocates for the truth, are working hard to help those who struggle with information literacy by teaching them how to differentiate fact from fiction.