University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Public Libraries: Current and Future Trends with Reflections over Seventy Years

Roy, Loriene; Simons, Rea

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122974

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Title
Public Libraries: Current and Future Trends with Reflections over Seventy Years
Author(s)
  • Roy, Loriene
  • Simons, Rea
Issue Date
2022-11
Keyword(s)
Public Libraries
Date of Ingest
2024-05-06T11:39:21-05:00
Geographic Coverage
North America
Abstract
Over the past seventy years, public libraries have adapted in several ways to reflect the challenges and opportunities presented to this diverse group of information organizations. This article examines key trends throughout this ongoing development of public libraries in North America, including the diversity of types of public libraries, the conceptualization and differentiation of patron groups, the evolving focus of public library services, the significance of architectural design, the impact of national assistance through standards and federal agency support, and an increasing focus on education and continuing education through connecting with professional organizations and nurturing social connections. Our review of each trend allows us to make some recommendations on how these topics may be addressed as the field currently faces a critical moment of change—both with the recent COVID-19 pandemic and with the many important conversations happening about the role and impact of public libraries in the middle part of the twenty-first century. The article concludes with four example scenarios of how public libraries might develop in the near future, which we encourage librarians to use as tools for reflection within their own organizations and for developing conversations across the field.
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
Series/Report Name or Number
Volume 71, Issue 2, November 2022
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
article
Language
eng
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 University of Illinois Board of Trustees

Owning Collections

Library Trends 71 (2) November 2022: Seventieth Anniversary Celebration Issue of Library Trends: Influence, Reach, Visibility, and Engagement [Restricted Access] PRIMARY
The journal Library Trends, now in its seventieth year, has since its inception in 1952 been produced by the School of Information Sciences, formerly the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The quarterly journal is currently published by Johns Hopkins University Press. This 71 (2) issue celebrates the contributions the journal has made to library and information science (LIS) internationally.