Welcome to the Future!
This year, the Future of Libraries Interest Group is sponsoring a Future Room.
A future room is an immersive experience that invites library staff to imagine the role of libraries in different future realities.
The room will present two alternate futures – one on Thursday, one on Friday. Please visit each day! You can share your ideas about:
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The role of the library in this future
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Possible job titles in this library
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The Services we would provide
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The Collections we would offer
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Technology that would be needed to support customers and the library
Participants will have the opportunity to enter to win a prize package!
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The ideas that people share will also be included in an article in an upcoming issue of the Crab.
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The Future Room is located in the Brigantine Boardroom. It will be available on Thursday and Friday during conference sessions.
Please check Sched for exact times Thursday and Friday.
Why?
“Future thinking” is a structured way to reflect on what might happen in the next 10-30 years. Imagining different scenarios can invite participants to think through different possibilities and hopefully be more prepared for a wider range of eventualities. It can also inspire folks to think about what decisions they can make now to create the type of future that they would like to see. Finally, thinking about a future which seems very unlikely can get people to look past their assumptions and biases and think of new opportunities.
This Future Room at MLA is an introduction to the idea of future thinking for MLA members and it will hopefully provide a fun way for people to engage with the future.