A Strategy for Academic Libraries in the First Quarter of the 21st Century by David W. Lewis

Disruptive technology meets libraries! Here is some scary bedtime reading for librarians who fear change: Lewis asserts that within the next few years there will be very few books in most academic libraries (with the exception of monographs in social sciences and humanities). Instead, he asserts that collections will be digitized; research done almost exclusively online; library spaces repurposed (into information and learning commons); and libraries' focus on collections redirected to "curating content."

What does it mean for the K-12 library world? Are the same shifts coming? Will collections turn almost exclusively fiction to support leisure and humanities reading skills? Will K-12 research go almost exclusively digital? Will K-12 library spaces turn into information commons like the university model with technology integration specialists, writing centers, tutorial centers, and librarians working together to help teachers develop curricula and students complete projects?

Of particular interest to me are Werner's recommendation related to resources and instruction. First, he asserts that library resources need to be embedded into the "systems and tools students and faculty use" (10) aka Google Books and course management software systems. He even suggests that a combination of Google Books and WorldCat might at some point replace library catalogs. This is interesting and makes sense to me. Conserve's holdings, cataloged via CatExpress, have been part of Google Books' search. Also, I've been experimenting with CMS sources (free and for $ like Spring Share) to combine teacher assignments and library sources in the same world. I'm glad to see I'm keeping up!

In the realm of instruction, Werner asserts that instruction might include a "mix of tutorials, learning tools, and in-person classroom involvement" (10) and instruction would focus less on tools [specific reference sources or databases] and more on evaluation of authority, academic integrity and intellectual property (11). We are already doing this in the K-12 world; this is what my teaching focus has been at Conserve.

Finally, in terms of repurposing space, physical space, I think we had it exactly right a few years ago when the educational technology staff and the library staff were all in the same office. Losing and not replacing the educational technology staff member ended that leading edge type support. I'd like to get back to that...and combine the learning center and writing center into the library space as well. I can't imagine getting rid of the print collection at this point, however. I think in a small K-12 library that the collection is small enough and curriculum-focused enough to stay. But, then again...the Kindle 2 is pretty amazing...

https://idea.iupui.edu/dspace/bitstream/1805/953/1/DWLewis_Strategy.pdf