Anticipating the future of libraries

I went to the Online Conference and heard the keynote address by Andy Hines. Here is my report.

Andy Hines is a professional futurist. He is currently an academic at Houston University where he runs a course called Future Studies. Previously he was a consultant and was hired by diverse companies such as Dow Chemical and Kellog. His work with these companies involved identifying trends that might impact on the business and seeking out new business opportunites.

Hines argued convincingly that we live in a time of flux and to survive the changes it is important to understand the trends. His number one rule is not to ignore or under estimate the possible difficulties ahead. He referred to companies that had ignored the early signs of the global financial crisis and then, when it hit, they were unprepared. The implication was that blind optimism is not always the best strategy for long term survival. He recommends that organisations have more than one contingency plan.

Hines believes that the most significant trend currently is the change in people’s values. This is an important trend to watch because values dictate behaviour. He spoke in detail about the shift in values. I’ll just comment on a few things that caught my attention. If you want to read more, Hines has co-written a number of books, which are listed below.

Hines identified three trends that a public library could take advantage of and in doing so, could increase its relevance and profile.
1. The traditional office set up is starting to blur. Thanks to technology more people can work away from the office. The public library is well placed to provide these workers with a pleasant space to work.
2. Lifelong learning is becoming more common with baby boomers not interested in retirement, but looking for new interests. The library can provide resources and a learning space.
3. People are getting tired of materialism and are more interested in connecting with their community and making a difference. The library is an ideal third space, separate from work and home, where people can meet face to face, or online, and work towards a common goal.

Andy Hines was an excellent speaker.

Books by Andy Hines et al
Thinking about the future: Guidelines for strategic foresight (Social Technologies, 2007)
2025: Science and technology reshapes US and global society (Oak Hill, 1997)
Managing your future as an association ( ASAE, 1994)