It’s not so far away
By Jim O’Donnell
(17 November 2015) This article is part of Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate. On Nov. 12, Future Tense hosted an event in Washington, D.C., on the future of the library. You can watch a webcast of the event on the New America website.
So what will libraries be like in 2100?
That’s not so very far away. The next time you see a tiny baby, bear in mind that she or he has a very good chance of living to see the 22nd century. What will the world of libraries look like then? Nobody can know—but perhaps we can talk about what libraries should be in that imaginable future.
For instance, how many libraries will there be? I can think of two good answers, both of which I hope are correct—and one very bad answer, which I hope is entirely incorrect.
The first correct answer is simple. There will be a library: one library, globally comprehensive and globally accessible.
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