Presentation from the Gates Foundation's Global Libraries 2013 Peer Learning Meeting. From our brainstorming meeting, the top ten things in tomorrow's library: play, engagement, books, tools, people, access, outreach, mobile, technology, light.

1. defining tomorrow’s
li·brary
(noun ˈlī-ˌbrer-ē, -ˌbre-rē)

2. Sidsel Bech-Petersen, Library Transformer, Aarhus
Public Libraries
Stephanie Chase, Director of Library Programs & Services,
The Seattle Public Library; @acornsandnuts
Wendy Knapp, Associate Director of Statewide Services,
Indiana State Library, @wpitts
Ramune Petuchovaite, EIFL-PLIP manager, @ramupetu
Pam Smith, Director, Anythink Libraries, @panythink

3. Where are we going?
“A library outranks any other one thing a
community can do to benefit its people. It is a
never failing spring in the desert.”
-Andrew Carnegie
"A library's function is to give the public in the
quickest and cheapest way information,
inspiration, and recreation. If a better way than
the book can be found, we should use it."
-Melvil Dewey

4. Are we alone in facing change?

5. Possibilities
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/03/would-more-people-use-public-library-if-
it-had-water-slide/5019/

6. The "Leg Up"

17. Zen Garden?

23. Aarhus Public Libraries
New Main Library in Aarhus – Dokk1
Opens 2014

25. A new way of working
Prototype
Evaluate
Design

26. A new way of working
Prototype
Evaluate
Design
And it will
not stop!

27. The users are the key factor

28. Compass rather than roadmap!

30. Meeting Space

31. Performative space

32. Performative space

33. Inspiration Space

34. Learning space

35. Tomorrow's library could be...

36. The Maker Library – the Local
Community’s Innovation Space ->
innovation is our new service!

37. A Mashup Library -> a mashup of
needs, resources and people in the
local community. Maybe organized
by the users?

38. A low-intensive meeting space ->
where you are exposed to new values
and ideas that they don't meet at work,
in school, at the sports club etc.

39. A Relational Library: A library based
on facilitation of relations – we are in
the relational business!

41. Test it out! The library as an
ongoing prototype

42. Utena municipality public library, Lithuania

43. Public library and community hall in Mubende, Uganda

44. Mobile Library Internet Service for Development
in Volta region, Ghana

45. Ghana: Volta regional library to be

46. exposing the elements of the library

47. living room, not reading room

48. the mixing chamber

49. books spiral

50. new living rooms
image via http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/apr/14/library-takes-book-club-on-the-
water/

51. new access points for the collection

52. point of need service
image via http://literarytourist.com/2012/02/page/2/

54. what makes all of these things --
from the burro to the e-reader
to the sandbox to the makerspace
a library?