This isn’t the library of today, with its Facebook page, downloadable books and the New York Times available on Kindle.  In fact, the library of today looks remarkably like the library of yesterday: it contains stacks of books and shelves of newspapers, reference librarians, study areas and storytime. The essence of any public library is to provide objective information and help patrons finding answers to questions. Perhaps even more so in the future, reference librarians will be knowledgeable about how to find obscure facts (perhaps only available in book format!) and serve as guides to the wonderful world of information for those members of the public who aren’t literate/computer literate.

Let’s say the year is 2060 – what do we think we know about the Tompkins County Public Library?

• The virtual library? The library could be much smaller physically because much of its collection – primarily books and magazines – is available by download to e-readers, either at the library or from home. Books take up most of the space in a library, and require shelving and re-shelving, tracking, mending, and weeding. A smaller number of books and magazines in an archive, combined with a larger selection of books, newspapers, journals and more in electronic format, may be what’s in store for the library of the future.
• Will public computers still be available at the library? What is a computer? Could it be  handheld and/or solar powered? Will all of Tompkins County be a hotspot?
• Will libraries still be the source for information? How will librarians – or the assistance they provide – be made available to patrons? Still face-to-face? by phone or email? 24/7?
• Since storytime was popular 50 years ago, we can image that storytime will still be popular 50 years from now. There’s no getting away from it, parents take their children to the library to keep their minds active and for the relief of having someone else read to them – creatively and enthusiastically. But will this be done at home or in “the library” Will they be read to by a person? a virtual person? a robot or other “machine”?
• The library as commons; not so common? Will the library still be a place to hear lectures, attend a public hearing, give blood, vote, see art and all those things that happen when people meet and gather and participate. Some of this can happen virtually; some not.
• Keeping the public in Public Library. Will the library still be supported by the public in the form of tax dollars, a sign of our literate and educated citizenry? Or will more private funding be needed to all the things described above, and more?

For more information:

Contact Sally Grubb, Exhibit Coordinator, Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, (607) 272-4557 ext. 232, sgrubb@tcpl.org