The Future Library

Futurist Thomas Frey had an interesting blog post recently called “The Future Library – A Liquid Network for Ideas” on his website futuristspeaker.com. At a recent conference on the “Future of Libraries” hosted by ALA and Library of Congress, Frey proposed a shift of focus for collection development in libraries from the typical curation of information such as books and journals to that of ideas. He explains in his post that he looks to the Library of Congress as the leading example of this concept. The Library of Congress began archiving public tweets from Twitter in 2010. Frey notes that this was “yet another example of the Library’s commitment to collecting first-person accounts of history” highlighting many of the other formats the Library collects. He continually references the term “liquid networks,” which is taken from Steven Johnson’s book Where Good Ideas Come From, calling them “breeding grounds” for ideas to mingle with other ideas. Having creative ideas is only part of the story – where do they go from there? He talks about the “liquid networks” that can be the point of entry for ideas to be realized, talked about, networked with, reformed, and much more, calling this the “virgin territory where libraries have a critical role to play long into the future.” While businesses may have shorter lifespans and are accountable to shareholders, public libraries fulfill a greater purpose to serve their communities and provide access to information for all. As Frey notes, having an idea archive may be the area that will give libraries sustenance and purpose far into the future and for lifetimes to come.