College and university long-term planning and strategic outlooks vary by type of institution, but a key point in all planning is that library resources are and will continue to be needed for curriculum and research support. The future of higher education and the future of academic libraries are linked closely, just as their history is. Many different consultants and corporations are offering ways to predict the future of higher education, studying trends in teaching, learning and student demographics, as well as other social trends.
Groups such as Ithaka and OCLC do research on library futures. The Association of Research Libraries and the American Library Association's Association of College and Research Libraries also support research on both the present and the future in their Value of Academic Libraries and other projects. Using the information these and other groups generate provides the opportunity for libraries and institutions to look to the future. Public libraries also do long-term planning of course, and must focus on their tax support and fit within other civic groups and often city and village governments. Perceptions of users, both students and community members, are key issues in planning.
Different groups of stakeholders can approach planning in different ways. Academic administrators come with experience at other institutions and can bring sets of assumptions that are not accurate in different places with different funding models. Professional groups within librarianship must work with all their stakeholders for planning to be practical and effective. The American Library Association's ongoing Symposium on the Future of Libraries has offered examples of future-oriented projects and directions being pursued across the U.S. Futurists writing about technology and education offer other examples of predictions and planning models. Educause also offers information, reports and resources for the discussions.
Librarians at all levels need to share in the conversations about long-term and short-term questions on the future of libraries. Even though some may feel the topic is over-discussed, government leaders and administrators continue to have many misperceptions that only communication and education can address. Being armed with data and the latest information is essential for those advocating for libraries, both now and in the future. Understanding the issues and presenting that data and information effectively is crucial for libraries' success and services to users in that long-term future.
Attendees will hear the highlights of the latest data on perceptions, planning and predictions for libraries in higher education and beyond, along with a getting a chance to make their own predictions.