Public Libraries: Report From “New Uses of the Public Library” Seminar

From the IFLA Public Library Division Blog:

The Seminar ‘New uses of the public library’, held on 26 February 2015 in the functions room of the Design Museum of Barcelona and organised by the Barcelona Provincial Council Library Services Management Office with the cooperation of the Barcelona Libraries Consortium and the IFLA’s Public Libraries and Library Buildings and Equipment sections, provided a forum for debate on the changes that are taking place in the use of the public library and how they affect services, users, spaces and professionals.
One of the challenges currently facing library professionals is defining the library model in a global context marked by profound change and social and economic uncertainty. A constantly evolving society characterised by factors such as the increased use of technology, changes in cultural consumption, a trend towards immediate access to knowledge, a diversity of interests and multiculturalism.
hese social factors are changing how citizens approach libraries and create new challenges in responding to needs and expectations in the design of library services and amenities. To address this, three round tables were organised on Users, Services and Professionals and composed, in all cases, of a local moderator, a professional from the Barcelona Municipal Libraries Network (MLN), a member of the Public Libraries section and a member of the Buildings section. The programme concluded with a presentation of good practices applied in the province of Barcelona.

Read the Complete Summary Report (8 pages; PDF)

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Libraries, Management and Leadership, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries