The Future of Libraries Has Little to Do with Books. Or Not.

I read a piece called "The Future of Libraries Has Little to Do with Books" and in spite of the provocative title, I thought the article's main idea that "reimagining the library as a gathering of people, rather than a collection of books, bodes well for the institution’s future" had merit. The article uses a number of examples to support the idea that no longer can libraries be seen as just brick and mortar book warehouses. Instead, they should be seen as an open, inviting space in which an individual or a group can meet to study, collaborate, work (or cowork), or play and, oh yeah, you'll also have access to a broad collection of digital content (courtesy of the library's free Wifi), a variety of physical media on the shelves, and the free services of skilled researchers.

Despite the examples in this article, I don't think that, on the whole, books are being discarded in favor of other formats or services, but I do think that the focus on books (and on the perception of the library simply as a book warehouse) is not as strong as it used to be. And that's a good thing. Libraries will always have books just as libraries will always have staff. But we do have to realize (and more importantly, embrace) that the only constant over time is change. 

To me, the difference in where "libraries" (libraries as an industry, that is) are going in regards to focusing more on their services and physical and digital spaces is best reflected in the concept of the "little free library." I think these are more appropriately called "community bookshelves" because a library is an entity that provides literacy services, inviting spaces, programming for all ages, access to its holdings wherever you have a connection to the Internet, and the free services of skilled researchers. 

Thoughts?