Academic Libraries: Future Scenarios

A great brainstorming document is now available for free from ACRL.

I recommend it.

FUTURES THINKING FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS:
HIGHER EDUCATION IN 2025

Prepared by:
Dr. David J. Staley
Director of the Harvey Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching in the History Department of Ohio State University
Kara J. Malenfant
ACRL Scholarly Communications and Government Relations Specialist

June 2010

Get the 32 page PDF here.

The 27 scenarios have intriguing titles and make an interesting read:

1. A college degree for every citizen
2. Academic niche networking
3. Activist seniors keep on working
4. Archives on demand
5. Breaking the textbook monopoly
6. Bridging the scholar/practitioner divide
8. Community over consumerism
9. Creative conscription
10. Design for disability
11. Everyone is a “non-traditional” student
12. I see what you see
13. Increasing threat of cyberwar, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism
14. Kinesthetic fluency
15. Longevity is the new wealth
16. Meet the new freshman class
17. Money makes the world go around
18. No need to search
19. [Libraries] Out of business
20. Pop-up campus (e-learning)
21. Renaissance redux
22. Right here with me
23. Scholarship stultifies
24. Sign on the dotted line (no tenure)
25. Think U
26. This class brought to you by…
27. Woven learning

Each would make a neat break out session at a staff conference, eh.

Some postive. Some neutral, Some scary. All in all, a neat exercise. The report has some timelines and predictions too. Either way, futures are fated unless you want them to be. They’re built, one scenario at a time.

Stephen