From the Article:

“Let’s face it: the library, as a place, is dead,” said Suzanne E. Thorin, dean of libraries at Syracuse University. “Kaput. Finito. And we need to move on to a new concept of what the academic library is.”

Thorin prefaced her comments by saying that for the purposes of the debate she would be taking an extreme position on the fate of libraries. But her argument tapped into theories about the obsolescence of libraries — traditionally defined — that have grown along with the emergence of Web-based reference tools, e-books, digitized and born-digital content, and other technologies that some see as changing essential library functions.

“The scientists have mostly gone online with their library needs,” Thorin said. “Cutting-edge scholars in the humanities are building new disciplines and online environments are are, in effect, libraries themselves; they are diffuse, collaborative, non-hierarchical, always changing.”

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Richard E. Luce, director of university libraries at Emory University, countered that just because libraries are transitioning from print to online does not mean they will cease to be libraries.

“The issue is really about library as place, whether you need the bricks and mortar,” Luce said. “So let’s look at that.” Why did thousands of college technologists come to Educause? “To interact with one another — to talk, to collaborate, to think, to communicate, to be with one another,” he said. “Isn’t that what we do in our best libraries?”

The library still is, and will continue to be, the centerpiece of a campus, Luce said. The history of libraries, he said, has been marked by evolution: They were founded as places where materials were collected and stored. Then they shifted their focus toward connecting clients with resources. Then, with the addition of creature comforts such as coffee shops, they became “experience” centered, effectively rendering student unions obsolete.

Access the Complete Article

Source: Inside Higher Ed
Hat Tip: Library Stuff

The always interesting and though provoking, R. David Lankes from Syracuse University, gave a keynote address at the Charleston Conference today. An abstract, his slides, audio and and a screencast (with audio) of his address are already available on his site.

The title of the keynote is, “New Librarianship.”

Abstract:

The best days of librarianship are ahead of us. However, to get there the field must step back, refocus, and reexamine our core principles. We as a profession have become so focused on the trees of standards and process that we are now at risk from missing the larger forest of opportunities. This talk will present a view of a new librarianship, one focused on knowledge and action instead of artifacts and collection. The presentation will look beyond the trends of today’s technologies to a durable new librarianship that focuses on innovation, leadership, and service.

+ Direct to Slides (PDF)

+ Direct to Audio (MP3)

+ Direct to Screencast (Audio and Video)

See Also: R. David Lankes Bio

Source: Virtual Dave…Real Blog

See Also: If you’re looking for a summary and “flavor” from the presentation, LJ provides coverage. Of course, from what we heard, there is plenty of audience laughter.

The 2008 report has been released and is now available online. The report is for the 2008 fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2008 (84 color pages; PDF).

Here are some Fast Facts about the Library of Congress for FY 2008:

+ Welcomed more than 1.6 million onsite visitors

+ Provided reference services to 545,084 individuals in person, by telephone and through written and electronic correspondence

+ Recorded a total of 141,847,810 items in the collections:

+ 21,218,408 cataloged books in the Library of Congress classification system

11,599,606 books in large type and raised characters, incunabula (books printed before 1501), monographs and serials, music, bound newspapers, pamphlets, technical reports and other printed material

++ 109,029,796 items in the nonclassified (special) collections, including:
++ 3,005,028 audio materials, such as discs, tapes, talking books and other recorded formats
++ 62,778,118 manuscripts
++ 5,357,385 maps
++ 16,086,572 microforms
++ 5,674,956 pieces of printed sheet music

+++ 14,388,175 visual materials, as follows:
+++ 1,207,776 moving images
+++ 12,536,764 photographs
+++ 98,288 posters
+++ 545,347 prints and drawings

+ Circulated more than 22 million disc, cassette and braille items to more than 500,000 blind and physically handicapped patrons

+ Registered 232,907 claims to copyright

+ Completed 871,287 research assignments for Congress through the Congressional Research Service

+ Prepared 1,529 legal research reports for Congress and oth er federal agencies through the Law Library

+ Recorded more than 85 million visits and 610 million page views on the Library’s website. At year’s end, the Library’s on line historical collections contained 15.3 million digital files

+ Employed a permanent staff of 3,637 employees

+ Operated with a total fiscal 2008 appropriation of $613,496,414, including the authority to spend $50,447,565 in receipts

Access the FY 2008 Annual Report (84 color pages; PDF)

You can access annual reports for the years 2000-2008 on this page. All reports are in PDF.

Source: Library of Congress

From the News Release:

The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research & Statistics (ORS) is making available online the most recent data published in the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study. The information provides up-to-date issues briefs related to public library technology and job-seeking, lifelong learning and Internet connectivity.

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Current topics include:

“U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services,” describing the increased use of online government information and services, the critical role of public libraries in helping provide access and assistance using these resources and the challenges that must be addressed to improve e-government at the local, state and federal level.

“Supporting Learners in U.S. Public Libraries,” outlining many of the technology resources public libraries provide learners of all ages and challenges libraries face in meeting growing demand, as well as describing how sustained funding enables public libraries to offer increased assistance and services to their communities.

“Job-seeking in U.S. Public Libraries,” discussing the range of library resources available to job seekers and challenges to maintaining these services.

“Internet Connectivity in U.S. Public Libraries,” describing the varied opportunities and obstacles facing libraries in acquiring and providing high-speed Internet access in rural, suburban and urban libraries.

You can access these issues briefs here.

Source: American Library Association