LIBRARIES OF FUTURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 95, 5 April 1934, Page 5

LIBRARIES OF FUTURE

Influence of Social Factors The impetus of national planning has turned the eyes of library experts toward the future, sa.ys a Chicago correspondent. The question of what objectives library authorities should set before themselves as they plan for the libraries of to-morrow, in view of changing social trends, is being taken up by a special committee of the American Library Association, it was announced by Mr. Carl H. Milam, secretary of the association. Survey committees in each state are soon to be enlisted in the undertaking, he said.

The future place of the library in society, what the library should be like, how it should be financed, how.it should co-ordinate its activities with other agencies, all of these are questions which enter into the study. The opinion of distinguished students of education, government, social science, social trends, and other persons of importance has been sought as to the social factors which should influence the character and organisation of library service in the future, Mr. Milam made known. These views are to be studied and made public at a later date. The next step is to solicit the views of librarians themselves in terms of their expectations or hopes regarding library service of the future. ‘‘A typical opinion which has been given us by one student of social science," Mr. Milam said, "is that the quantity of knowledge will continue to increase, that this will lead inevitably to a longer period of schooling and to more and more specialisation; that we are not passing from one peaceful plateau through a period of change to another peaceful plateau but the rate of change will continue indefinitely to increase and this may mean that the library will not be so much concerned with the selection of books already published as with helping tn bring into existence quickly books and pamphlets which will meet the needs of to-morrow."