When is a Library No Longer a Library? The Future of All-Digital Academic Libraries. Passing from ‘traditional’ to modern.

Abstract

Academic libraries must continually adapt to the changing landscape of higher education. Electronic journals and ebooks now dominate library acquisition budgets and the library of the future may soon have only digital resources. For many university libraries, this shift from print to electronic resources has allowed for creative space design to incorporate a variety of student services and study spaces. And for many university administrators faced with ever increasing demands for central campus space for many purposes, the vision of an electronic collection creates new opportunities to use library space in innovative ways. But, what does this shift mean when both the collections and physical space are virtual? Without a brick and mortar space or any print collections, can libraries still meet the evolving needs of their students, faculty, and staff? Whether an academic library was born digital or transitioned to this model over time, librarians working in this new environment have had to radically revise their ideas about space and service.

Panelists from Florida Polytechnic University and the University of Michigan will share their experiences working in this all-digital, virtual environment. Session participants will then have the opportunity to how discuss these changes are impacting library spaces and services on a broad level and how they might successfully navigate these changes in their own libraries and on their own campuses. For additional information, please see http://acrl.libguides.com/uls/dgs/programs. This program will be recorded for later viewing if you are unable to attend the live session.