Will Libraries Outlive Books?

Despite their reputation for dusty book jackets and silence, libraries aren’t simply repositories of the already read—they offer gathering places and community resources, and even serve as battlegrounds for civil liberties battles. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to imagine the library’s role in a world in which everyone can carry Google with them at all times.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015 Future Tense explored some of the most important questions facing libraries: Are physical libraries still necessary in a digital age? How should they serve communities glued to smartphones and tablets? And how can they prepare themselves for tomorrow without losing their souls today?

Panel 1 ‘Alexandria Unbound: Re-Imagining the Library for the Digital Age’ featuring Jesse Sheidlower, Lexicographer; Daniel M. Russell, Über Tech Lead, Search Quality & User Happiness at Google; Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Executive Director of DC Public Library; and, Deborah Jacobs, Director of the Global Libraries Initiative at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
Panel 2 ‘The Library of 2100’ featuring Miguel Figueroa, Director of the Center for the Future of Libraries at the American Library Association; Elizabeth Merritt, Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums at the American Association of Museums; James O'Donnell, University Librarian at Arizona State University; and, Justin Peters, Writer, Slate.