Future Libraries

Workshops Summary and Emerging Insights

This report is a product of the Arup University.

By investing in tools, skills and people, Arup University helps the firm deliver excellence,
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“Arup University is a very important part of our strategy. We’re using it to keep our skills at
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Contacts

Julian Diamond Chris Luebkeman

Associate Director Arup Fellow and Director
Information Management Global Foresight + Research + Innovation
julian.diamond@arup.com chris.luebkeman@arup.com

Kim Sherwin Josef Hargrave

Senior Librarian & Knowledge Specialist Associate
Arup University Foresight + Research + Innovation
kim.sherwin@arup.com josef.hargrave@arup.com

Elisa Magnini
Researcher
Foresight + Research + Innovation
elisa.magnini@arup.com Cover Image: Arup Campus - Library © Craig Holmes

July 2015

13 Fitzroy Street
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Contents
Introduction 5

Workshops 7

An Ecosystem for Future Libraries 10

Participatory Knowledge Preservation 12

Enabling Collaboration and Decision-making 18

Hubs for Community Wellbeing 24

Seamless Learning Experiences 30

Looking Forward 37

Workshop Participants 38

References 40

About Arup 41

Click on section title to navigate

© Arup | Michael van Oosten
Introduction

Libraries are going through a renaissance, more local libraries. Despite these risks and
both in terms of the social infrastructure they uncertainties, trends shaping the future of
provide and in terms of a diversification of libraries have the potential to reshape and
the services and experiences they offer. In reinvigorate the role they play in public,
corporate environments they are playing an academic and corporate settings.
increasingly important role in the provision This report explores some of the key
of collaborative and diverse workspaces. In trends shaping the future of public, academic
communities they are evolving into hubs for and corporate libraries. It outlines the
education, health, entertainment and work. implications on future design, operation and
Libraries are encouraging people back into user experience; and suggests what we may
the physical space, through the integration expect to see, feel and do in the library
of, for example, cafes, free Wi-Fi, maker of the future.
spaces or child care programs. In addition,
the “walls” of libraries continue to expand
beyond the physical space, with online
resources, social media, crowdsourcing and
mobile services changing how collections
and services are accessed and shared while
on the go.
However, these trends are not uniform
across all regions, countries and contexts. In
many parts of the world, access to libraries
is still not the norm. Even in developed
regions, not all libraries are capable of
delivering the change required to survive
and thrive in the long-term. Funding
shortages and replacement through online
service are obvious risks facing smaller,

Left: The Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam, designed to connect learning with

participation and experience. It attracts two million visitors every year. 5
© Arup
Workshops

The research and thoughts presented in this report

emerged from a series of collaborative workshops
held in London, Melbourne, San Francisco and
Sydney. These were attended by a multitude of
library stakeholders with backgrounds in the
design, operation and management of libraries.
Each workshop began with a broad set of trends.
Participants were split into groups and asked to
select those trends most relevant to them. Selections
were made based on personal interest, background,
perceived importance, and regional relevance.
Discussions about the future of libraries varied
in the different regions. The session in Sydney
focused predominantly on the role and function
of the libraries, while San Francisco explored the
future design and operation of the library building.
The workshops highlighted a broad range of trends
and issues that could play a role in shaping future
libraries, and have an impact on their design,
operation and user experience. The following
pages summarise some of the key issues discussed
in the workshops.

Left: London Workshop 7

 London Melbourne
4th March 2015 5th March 2015

In times of increased funding A developed ‘digital

restrictions, libraries need to infrastructure’ will support
balance the desire for new libraries in moving their
technologies and interactive physical collections into
SPACE services with maintaining suitable spaces accessed
and upgrading basic through the application of
infrastructure. automation and robotics.
This will allow the
repurposing of the space
to accommodate diverse
human activities.

Due to rapid technological As discovery experiences

turnover, digital collections are increasingly dominated
are growing in number and by technology, staff will
OPERATION diversity, posing issues of need to be prepared with
curation and conservation. the necessary skills. Along
with investments in training,
There is a growing need to the integration of specialised
embrace alternative operation staff is an opportunity to
and funding models, such improve library services.
as integration of council
services, absorption of
libraries into cultural hubs
and collaboration with
commercial partners.

The increased use of social The role of librarians as

media will support libraries in research mentors will
their curation role by opening facilitate the discoverability
USER collections to larger and of increasingly complex and
EXPERIENCE more engaged audiences. hybrid collections.
It will also enable access
through exclusive paths to Librarians will continue to
deep and trusted resources. ensure patrons find a level
of serendipitous discovery
in their research, which
they would not be able to
experience with the aid of
search engines alone.

8 Future Libraries
San Francisco Sydney Key Implications
12th March 2015 12th March 2015

Flexible and adaptable The physical space of the - Space and locations for
spaces, partly future library will need a diverse functions and
commercialised, such as greater level of flexibility user needs
sponsored and curated and appropriate up-to-date
- Flexibility and
spaces, rentable spaces equipment to accommodate
adaptability
suitable for businesses, and diverse functions, including
spaces for events would assisted research, - Deployment of robotics
contribute to the economic exhibitions, informal and smart systems
sustenance of libraries and meetings, individual and - Integration of interactive
help maintain accessibility and collaborative study, curation elements
services for those who are of rare resources and access
most vulnerable, such as the to community services. - Sustainable retrofitting
homeless.

Collaboration between Future libraries will be - Skills update

library staff and patrons will required to improve their
- Issues for curation and
be an opportunity to create identity and visibility
conservation
virtuous circles beneficial inside the communities
to user engagement and or organisations they - Alternative funding
intensive use of resources. serve. This will mean more - Alternative operation
attractiveness in terms of models
A wide range of opening spatial design, as well as a
hours would be ideal to greater level of participation - Community
address the needs of of librarians in the life of the engagement
different age groups. community or the business
of their organisation.

Intuitive access to Engagement with - Engagement through

information through hybrid stakeholders and with local social media
experiences, both in physical organisations could be an
- Mentoring, curation and
and digital spaces, will important source of funding
discoverability
require an integration of and partnerships to attract
expert human curation, more visitors. - Personalised content
digitally personalised content - Seamless digital and
and navigable space. physical experiences
- Participatory service
design

9
An Ecosystem for Future Libraries

In the following section, salient trends and

implications are analysed extensively, with the aid
of user stories and case studies.

User stories provide potential scenarios and

highlight significant features of library experiences
in the year 2025.

As the diagram on the following page

shows, emerging trends have been clustered
into four main areas that explore possible
roles future libraries could embrace:

Participatory Knowledge Preservation

Enabling Collaboration and Decision-making
Hubs for Community Wellbeing
Seamless Learning Experiences

10 Future Libraries
 Seamless
Seamless Learning
Learning
Experiences
Experiences

immersive
immersive
experiences
experiences

learning
learining
personalised Hubs
models
models personalised Hubs forfor Community
Community
experiences
experiences Wellbeing
Wellbeing

smart
smart
surfaces
surfaces
robotics mobile ‘filter
‘filter
robotics mobile
lifestyles bubbles’
bubbles’
lifestyles unbiased
unbiased
information
information
universal
universal
copyright
copyright open
open access
access to to
legislation
legislation information
information knowledge integration
knowledge integration of of
information council
council services
services
information
overload
overload
smart private
private
smart
systems partnerships
partnerships community
community
systems
engagement
engagement
crowdsourcing
crowdsourcing

Enabling
Enabling Collaboration
Collaboration volunteering
volunteering
and
and Decision-making
Decision-making crowdfunding
crowdfunding

data creative
creative
data reuse
decay
decay reuse

Participatory
Participatory Knowledge
Knowledge
Preservation
Preservation

space
space

operation
operation

user
user experience
experience

11
Participatory Knowledge Preservation

“I think there’s a whole infrastructure that has to be not only

created, but invented and sustained in order to make sure the
knowledge that we’ve been digitizing is retained and reusable
over a long period of time. Otherwise, we’ll have denied
ourselves what is the most important potential I can think of
– to have all the knowledge of human-kind at our fingertips.”
—Vint Cerf, Guardian Activate London, 2013

Libraries have had the historical role of being places for the
preservation of knowledge. Looking forward, librarians in
many regions will have to cope with shrinking resources
and increasing challenges to their role posed by technology.
Whilst there are notable exceptions, such as South Korea
investing ₩552 billion ($493 million) between 2009 and
2013 to open new libraries1, policies of austerity are resulting
in the alarming tendency to erode funds for the operation
of libraries in many countries. In the UK, for example, 324
libraries have been closed since 2011 due to government cuts.2
At the same time, the exponential proliferation of digital
media, which characterises the post-Gutenberg information
era, will create new challenges for the acquisition and
curation of coherent collections that are relevant and available
to the public. In this adverse context, it will be critical for
librarians to identify alternatives for funding and operation.
The potential use of social media, as well as alternative
funding and operation models, will need to be considered as
ways of providing sufficient human and financial resources
for the flourishing of future library services.

12 Future Libraries
 30 Doradus and The Growing Tarantula Within, from the Smithsonian Institution’s Flickr Commons account

Case Study: A growing number of libraries and archives

are posting their digitised visual content
onto The Commons on Flickr. The initiative
was launched in 2008 with a pilot project in
partnership with The Library of Congress in
Washington, D.C. The Commons platform
Flickr: The has been created to enable a wider audience
to access otherwise hidden archives. As a

Commons result, volunteer Flickr visitors have been

tagging and adding information to photos
Smithsonian Institution

uploaded by librarians, making them more

discoverable for other online users and
achieving something that was previously
impossible for few librarians managing vast
archives of physical photos.
 Caitlin, 70

Caitlin is a recently retired actress living in Sydney. Willing to continue

cultivating her passion for the silver screen, she joined a volunteering
programme at the Cinematic Arts Library. She spends her typical day
at the library helping with the re-digitisation process and engaging with
the community sponsoring the programme.
N
R
E
F
D
E
R
Caitlin meets her team. This morning they will be
converting a series of 100 backstage photographs
from an obsolete format to the current standard.
The Cinematic Arts Library is one of the few
institutions in the country still retaining the
necessary equipment to decode formats generated
two decades before.
The team selects some exemplar pictures
to be uploaded onto the Cinematic Arts social
platform. Caitlin tags the photos with the limited
information gathered from the original captions
and publishes her post. A few minutes later
the comments box gets animated with a fervid
conversation aiming to determine the exact date
and location of when the photos were shot.
Caitlin joins a meeting with a member of the
local council to discuss an initiative they have in
mind to promote cultural tourism. The council
would like to create an app that displays some
of the re-digitised pictures in the urban
environment using beacons to connect with
visitors’ personal devices.
Caitlin checks the weekly progress for the
funding of next month’s re-digitisation programme
on the crowdfunding platform that the library
subscribes to. She is happy to see that hundreds of
generous backers have outnumbered the amount
of money originally pledged. This will allow for a
larger amount of images to be converted and ease
the arduous selection process.

15
Emerging Trend: Continuous and relentless advances in technology in the past
Data Decay decades are leaving behind a growing amount of data in a
disparate range of formats, such as floppy disks, VHS and
zip archives. As software formats become outdated, data
gets lost. This phenomenon, known as Data Decay or Bit
Rot, is preventing information from being passed on to the
next generations. “This is a serious, serious problem, and
we have to solve that.” Says Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of
the Internet.3 As the natural preservers and organisers of
knowledge and records, libraries need to ensure all these
formats of data are accessible both today and in the future.
Technical skills and the availability of appropriate tools will
be decisive for librarians to provide these services.

Emerging Trend: As libraries are experiencing a lack of funding in many

Alternative Funding regions, they are increasingly reliant on alternative operation
and funding models. One solution being pursued is the
privatisation or private partnership of public libraries.
This can help in up-keeping library services but poses
challenges on ensuring continued equal access to libraries.
Likewise, some libraries are introducing income-based
subscription fees or considering the involvement of volunteers
to stay open. Crowdfunding is also seen as a valid alternative
to fund libraries. Social lending sites offer an opportunity
for a growing number of philanthropists to make micro-
investments, which are fuelling a wide range of independent
projects. Librarians will need to work in synergy with the
communities or institutions they serve to design strategic
initiatives and demonstrate the value that they provide.

Emerging Trend As our lives are increasingly linked to the digital world,
Crowdsourcing and social media platforms are gaining speed. The amount of
Creative Reuse people using social media is projected to almost double,
reaching 2.55bn by 2017.4 The use of social media to engage
with patrons is quickly becoming a common custom. In
most cases, social media is the best means to keep patrons
informed about services offered and upcoming events.
More and more librarians are also exploiting the potential
of social media to make once inaccessible archives available
to the public and crowdsource precious information about
digitised items. This is shifting the debate from the struggles
of digitisation to opportunities of collaborative curation and
creative reuse.

16 Future Libraries
 Lacuna: library + public art space

Case Study: Kickstarter is a crowdsourcing platform

whose mission is to connect micro-investors
with independent creatives to make their
projects come to life. On March 3, 2014,
Kickstarter passed $1 billion in pledges
by a total of 5.7 million backers from 224
Libraries on countries.5 Between 2013 and 2014 more
than 150 library-related projects have

Kickstarter been successfully funded on Kickstarter.6

Librarians ask for funds to extend the
collection of their library, to buy new
Peter de Wit CC-BY

equipment or to give their patrons access

to 3D printers. Funded projects also include
free mobile libraries and podcasts to share
ideas and innovate the library profession.
Enabling Collaboration and Decision-making

“The next library is a place, still. A place where people come

together to do co-working and coordinate and invent projects
worth working on together. Aided by a librarian who understands
the Mesh7, a librarian who can bring domain knowledge and
people knowledge and access to information to bear.”
—Seth Godin, 2011

Libraries are and will continue to be places where

information is accessed and new knowledge is created. This
fosters personal development for individuals and facilitates
innovation for organisations. In the emerging knowledge
economy, new value is created in highly collaborative
environments by using immediately digestible information.
Net-native generations are developing a dependence on
demand-ready information. This is happening in a context
where new knowledge is made available to the public at
an exponential rate thanks to cheaper technologies and
increasingly flexible intellectual property legislation.
For future libraries, this will mean providing users with
spaces where meaningful interactions can take place
and where people can easily access curated information
both in physical and digital form. Robotics and big data,
when applied both to spatial design and to information
management, have the potential to disrupt the traditional
balance between storage and collaborative spaces. This
can provide opportunities to create more liveable and
diverse solutions. Such diversity will be key to achieve
a good level of flexibility, which will accommodate the
demands and aspirations of hyper-diverse users. The
challenge for librarians will lie in a deeper understanding
of users’ needs, in order to provide them with relevant
information. Librarians will need to consider new skills,
greater collaboration and a multi-disciplinary approach to
their profession.

18 Future Libraries
 The book collector in the Mansueto Library

Case Study: The book collection of the Joe and Rika

Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago

University
is conserved in an underground storage
space set to ideal temperature and humidity
conditions. The five storey archive can only be
of Chicago accessed by custom-designed robot cranes
which, prompted by librarians’ requests,

Librarian Bot can retrieve any of the 3.5 million tomes in

ocegep CC-BY

minutes.8 Books can then be enjoyed in a fully

day-lit environment enclosed in a glass and
steel dome above ground.
 Susan, 27

Susan is an architect working in a large firm specialising in green

infrastructure. She is working to a tight deadline on a proposal for
a green wall in Singapore. In a few days she will need to submit
alternatives for usable plants and for the support structure to be
integrated within the existing building. Fast decision-making is key for
the success of the project and Susan hopes the library and information
management services offered by her company will help her.
The production of open source bio-engineered
plants has boomed in the last two decades. Long
gone are the times when only few well-equipped
corporate laboratories could produce patented
species. Thanks to the recent introduction of
flexible licensing legislation and the spread of
cheaper technologies, independent engineers can
easily access genomes of existing organisms and
create and share thousands of new diverse ranges
of plants to be used for different applications and
responding to different needs.
Susan needs a quick shortlist of plants
that would be suitable for Singapore’s climate
conditions, and will meet the strict local legal
requirements. She sends details of her constraints
to the library and information management
team. The team has access to the global OSPPD
(Open Source Plant Patent Database) and can use
powerful search engines to combine complex
systems of requirements. In a short time, a
shortlist of twenty plants is delivered to Susan,
complete with all the necessary details.
The next step for Susan is identifying a list
of materials for the support structure so she
organises a workshop to come up with some
ideas. Before the meeting, she retrieves a stock
of material samples from the material library.
She scans her list and in seconds a robot delivers
the samples requested to the table Susan booked
in the library’s collaborative space. After a very
productive session, Susan scans the shortlisted
material samples for her records and walks away
to her next meeting. At the end of the day the
library’s drone goes around to inspect the space. It
detects and collects all unshelved items and puts
them back in their allocated space in storage.

21
Emerging Trend: Widespread public connection to the Internet is creating a
Open Information and demand for unrestricted access to information.
Copyright Legislation A growing number of academics are contributing to this
open access movement by self-archiving their articles or
publishing open journals. At the other end of the spectrum,
commercial publishers of content continue adopting largely
anachronistic licensing models, generating issues of access
and affordability for many libraries, and leading to an
information divide. Copyright legislation is also struggling
to keep up with the fast pace of the digital world. Creative
Commons is attempting to address this issue, but it is not a
complete solution.

Emerging Trend: According to the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, we create

Information Overload as much information in two days, as we did from the dawn
of civilization up until 2003.9 This data can provide valuable
information both to patrons and librarians to help identify
innovation opportunities, transform the management of
assets, enhance interaction with stakeholders, and make
sure that key risks to a business are pro-actively managed.
On the other hand, the availability of immense amounts
of data can be overwhelming for human decision-making
and productivity. In view of this, the research, management
and curation skills of librarians will grow in importance to
facilitate the usability of information and to make quality
information more digestible.

Emerging Trend There is a growing trend for Building Management Systems

Smart Systems and that have the capability to automate, monitor and control the
Robotics conditions of a building; from the heating and cooling, to the
use of electric lighting and shading devices. Systems can be
programmed to alter states conditionally, monitor and identify
faults, and communicate to maintenance staff. Intelligent
robots and the Internet of Things will play a greater role
in automated systems. Networks of connected devices,
embedded in building components, will create a greater level
of automation and enable a more efficient interaction with the
environment. With increasing volumes of items in need of
storage and the shrinking availability of space, the application
of programmed machines can optimise the design of archives,
resulting in space and energy savings, as well as optimisation
of retrieval systems.
22 Future Libraries
 The Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center

Case Study: The Future Library is a non-profit organization

funded by a grant of the Stavros Niarchos
Foundation. Between 2011 and 2013 Future
Library created nine media labs in public
libraries across Greece with the collaboration
Future Library of Google and the Mozilla Foundation.10
The initiative aims to connect Greek public
by the Stavros and municipal libraries with a sustainable
network, which will be linked to the National
© Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Niarchos Library of Greece once it is relocated to

Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center in 2016.11
Google is contributing to the project by
Foundation advising on spatial design solutions and
engaging with librarians to help them become
proficient with their tools, to achieve an ideal
synergy between highly skilled humans and
sophisticated search engines.12
Hubs for Community Wellbeing

“Libraries are still fundamentally about equality of access, reading,

information and learning. You can reinterpret that and modernise
sensitively, according to local needs.”
—Ciara Eastell, President of the Society of Chief Librarians, 2013

“When a library is open, no matter its size or shape, democracy

is open, too.”
—Bill Moyers, “The Public Library”, 2014

Libraries have a key role to play in community identity.

They provide a connection to resources, knowledge and
services in an egalitarian way. Many libraries will serve
disadvantaged communities and they are central to providing
equal access regardless of ethnicity, age, gender and
sexuality. They are non-judgmental places, places to explore
the world anonymously, privately and securely away from
the pressures of the world outside. They are community
hubs, to exchange ideas, to open minds and to provide shelter
and companionship. Whilst the digital world moves at a fast
pace and libraries support this connection; those who seek
solace in the physical place are enriched by the opportunities
a library, as a community hub, can provide. New design,
functions and purpose of the physical space are inevitable,
but what remains as a constant is the equal access for all and
the opportunity to broaden ones’ horizons.

24 Future Libraries
 Case Study: In a city with more than 7,000 homeless
people, the central public library in San

San Francisco Francisco, was the first one to employ

a full-time social worker in 2009. About
15% of the total 5,000 daily visitors of the
Central Library
underclassrising.net CC-BY-SA

library have nowhere else to go. Homeless

patrons seeking a shelter find access to

Homeless information about their rights and necessary

legal resources, guided by professionally

Programme
trained staff. The programme resulted in the
permanent housing of more than 150 formerly
homeless citizens and the entitlement to
social services for another 800.
 Loh Ki, 40

Loh Ki is a librarian working in a local library in a neighbourhood of

Taipei, which is subject to a recent regeneration plan. The current premises
of the library are quite dated, and signs of time are causing major energy
and financial waste. For this reason, the library will be relocated in a new
building part of one of the residential developments, a few blocks away. Loh
Ki and his colleagues are very excited about this opportunity and want to
use it as an occasion to re-design their service offering.
Loh Ki wants to make sure that the new-born
local community is given a chance to contribute
to the re-design of the library. He presents his
idea of a collaborative workshop to the building
management and to the local council, where he
finds warm support. As it was already in the
councillors’ plans to integrate more services in the
new library, they are happy to test local interests.
The event takes place in the empty spaces of
the new library and is joined by long-standing
patrons and curious new residents. Some patrons,
talking to new residents, recall that time when
there was a flood. Then the library was the
only place where they could have free access to
computers with an internet connection, whilst their
homes were uninhabitable. Other elderly patrons
mention how helpful the library was when that big
password-theft scandal alarmed everyone and Loh
Ki organised a course about internet security.
After some chatting, a young couple, who have
just moved to the area, approach Loh Ki. They have
in mind to open a small business and they need
a space to work, meet collaborators and access
information about the local opportunities and
legislations. They are soon joined by one of the GPs
working in the area. He would like to use the library
to keep the community informed about health
issues and he thinks he could also use the library
spaces to receive new patients. The day after the
event, Loh Ki has another meeting with the council.
Everyone is impressed by the positive response of
the community. The foundations have been laid for
the next steps and a draft business plan is produced,
accounting for flexible and future-proof spaces.

27
Emerging Trend: Knowledge is a form of wealth and a pathway to prosperity. An
Universal, Unbiased increased dependence on digital access to information raises
and Secure Access to concerns related to privacy, ownership and affordability. Privacy
Knowledge of information is often governed by legislation. However, there
is often a lag with the emergence of new technologies and
platforms. Owners of platforms through which information is
accessed hold the power to influence this availability. “Filter
bubbles” can shield people from opposing viewpoints or
information that challenges their beliefs. Critics argue this could
polarise populations and create social divisions. Universal access
to knowledge is particularly important in developing countries
that have lower rates of formal education and limited access to
digital technologies.

Emerging Trend: The ever-growing migration to urban areas is followed by

Culture and a redistribution of investments, which coagulate in dense
Services Hubs urban areas, leaving peripheral communities isolated. In
either of these contexts, there is a growing trend towards the
convergence of services related to community wellbeing in
library spaces. In developing urban areas, local authorities
invest funds for the creation of flagship knowledge centres,
that juxtapose traditional library spaces and spaces for creative
activities such as experimenting with new technologies,
incubating a new business, or even rehearsing with a band.
On the other hand, isolated communities are looking to the
integration of cultural and social services in library spaces,
in the attempt to stabilise visitor numbers and funding. This
is influencing the way library spaces are designed; flexibility
is becoming a fundamental requirement as it accommodates
diverse activities that can stretch beyond current predictions.

Emerging Trend Stakeholder engagement can help organisations find out what
Community social and environmental issues matter the most, in order to
Engagement improve decision-making and respond to a rising demand for
localism and community ownership. Community-led design
can be a powerful tool in seeking solutions to complex issues.
It gives stakeholders a say in decision-making. As traditional
libraries begin to change shape into digital or joint-use
libraries, the ways of maintaining and developing local identity
will need to be reconsidered. Engaging with local communities
can help to catalyse this process. The use of social media for
community engagement is also emerging: social platforms
are being used by a large number of institutions to crowd-
source spatial design solutions and information to create
improved user experiences.

28 Future Libraries
 Locals gathering outside Ferguson Library

Case Study: In the autumn of 2014 the city of Ferguson

in Missouri, USA was hit by an escalation of
violence following the shooting of Michael
Brown. During the most difficult days, unlike
most public and private service providers,
Ferguson Library the local public library decided to keep its
doors open to the public and served as a

#whatlibrariesdo catalyst for the relief of the whole community.

CC-BY, Jamelle Bouie

As the news went viral on social media with

the hashtag #whatlibrariesdo, the library
received a wave of support, raising more
than $175,000 USD - almost half its annual
budget - in less than two days.
Seamless Learning Experiences

“A nice, warm destination for families, children and adults that can
merge education and entertainment makes it something you want
to take part in. Many people’s aspirations these days are wrapped
up in their consumer experiences, so it becomes important to
benchmark other things to those experiences to compete and win.”
—Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, 2013

Demographic and lifestyle changes, together with disruptive

technologies, are radically reshaping how learning is
delivered and accessed. Learning is increasingly becoming an
embedded component of our professional and personal daily
routine, rather that being relegated to the first two decades of
our life. Lifelong learning can be casual or formalised and is
enabled by the omnipresent on-the-go access to information
provided by personal devices. As libraries are quintessential
places for learning, the spaces they inhabit and the services
that they offer will face unavoidable transformations.
In the future, the boundaries between personal devices and
the built environment will blur and physical spaces will be
impregnated with new layers of information and content
to be activated at users’ disposal. Digital contents will be
customisable by conscious users or by automated algorithms
creating a personalised stream of recommendations.
The integration of these technologies in library spaces and
services will determine their ability to be part of a global
conversation and to respond to users’ expectations.

30 Future Libraries
 Moscow Metro

Case Study: A virtual library of Russian classical literature

was opened in fall 2014 in some of the 195
Moscow metro stations. Nearly 2.5 million
annual passengers have free access to
a selection of novels by authors such as
Moscow Metro Pushkin, Chekhov and Tolstoy. Commuters
can scan codes disseminated in the stations

Digital Library with their personal mobile devices and

explore a virtual catalogue of more than
© Peter Marki-Zay

100 publications, with no need to register

to the service. Users also have the option of
suggesting new publications to be added to
the collection.15
 Pete, 32

Pete is a Finnish chef who lives in Barcelona with his partner, a

talented financial analyst, and his two sons. Thanks to his partner’s
support, Pete recently decided to quit his job to spend more time with
his sons and have a chance to visit Finland more often. After a couple
of months at home, Pete realises he still has a lot of free time between
his family trips to Finland. He decides to use this opportunity to fulfil
the dream he gave up in is youth to learn coding. Pete is looking for a
flexible course that will allow him to study where he prefers, while still
providing opportunities for face-to-face learning.

NOTICIAS
When picking up his sons at the library, Pete
notices an advertisement for a coding course on
the library’s digital notice board. Intrigued by
the introduction, Pete asks the librarian for more
information. The librarian introduces him to the
online portal of the university that is offering the
course. The programme is free and customisable,
with online courses alternated with bimonthly
gatherings that require a small fee. Pete enrols
with no hesitation.
Pete goes through the course reading list and
finds a good number of e-books he can borrow
from the library, together with a tablet he can
use to start practising coding. The day after, Pete
leaves for a week in Finland with his family. On
the train to the airport, Pete logs into his online
account and starts watching videos and reading
about theory bases for computing on his tablet.
As he watches more videos, Pete’s account builds
up a stream of recommendations about literature
and other students who have similar interests.
Back home, a week later, Pete has a look at the
Barcelona forum on the course’s page to see if any
other students are in town. There he notices some
students are organising evening learning sessions
at his local library, so he decides to join them
the next day. Once at the library, Pete is curious
to know what the others think about the code he
has created so far, thus he slides his worksheet
from his tablet onto the table’s e-surface so that
everyone can have a look. Other students start
tapping on the table and adding comments and
references. After a productive evening, Pete saves
the improved version of his code on his tablet and
saves the date for next week’s meeting.

33
Emerging Trend: Libraries strive to differentiate their offering in the face
Immersive Personalised of increasing user expectations, and are making efforts to
Experiences innovate around the user experience they offer to provide
well designed services. People want to design their own
personalised space where they can access favourite sites,
materials, bookmarks and images. Immersive experiences
are rich, virtual online environments that allow learners to be
engaged in a self-contained artificial or simulated world while
experiencing it as if it was real. This can involve applications
such as game-based learning, simulation based learning and
virtual 3D worlds. Access to information can happen in any
location or time zone and can replicate any environment.

Emerging Trend: Educational institutions are operating in an environment with

Learning Models growing expectations for IT-enabled learning and research.
Cheap digital technologies can now provide innovative
opportunities to enhance teaching, learning, research and the
management of organisations and also improve employability
in an increasingly digital economy. Lifelong learning – the
voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge throughout
our lives – is today an established phenomenon. The majority
of learning now occurs informally outside the classroom. A
shift away from traditional spaces to e-learning can enable less
resource heavy solutions, for example, they might require less
physical space and minimise waste from printed materials.
With this shift, the role of the library might evolve from one
supporting learning to increasing learning opportunities
facilitated by the library.

Emerging Trend Nomadic and mobile lifestyles are changing the way people
Mobile Lifestyles work and access information. The borders of traditional
working environments are fading, whilst an increasingly
diverse workforce seeks more informal and convenient spaces
to meet and collaborate. New technologies are key facilitators
for these new working models. Augmented reality, smart
devices and surfaces make information ubiquitously available,
and their integration in smart systems, blurred between
physical and digital space, makes access to information and
collaboration a seamless experience. These expectations of
innovative experiences stretch beyond the workplace into all
forms of learning and information access, such as libraries.

34 Future Libraries
 Interactive surface

Case Study: In the future world envisioned by Microsoft’s

office labs, everyday objects are filled
with digital capabilities.16 A coffee cup can
display the temperature of its content,
electronic newspapers have the material
Microsoft qualities of paper, while functioning like
CC BY-SA 3.0, Daniel Mietchen

e-readers. Glass and clear surfaces are

Future Vision used as displays and information flows in a

continuous stream from personal devices
onto objects furnishing the environment. In
Microsoft’s fictional world, collaboration and
access to information are natural interactions
transcending spatial and temporal distance.
© Tal Rogovski, Yoav Meiri Architects
Looking Forward

The role of libraries will significantly As access to technology spreads and

change in the coming years, driven by the quantity of information generated grows
demographic changes, rising urban migration exponentially, the mentoring expertise
and technological advances. In the future, of librarians will become more crucial in
libraries will serve more culturally diverse supporting education, research and well
and physically dense communities under the informed decision-making. Whilst some
pressure of limited resources. would argue that the advancing sophistication
Integrating a wider range of public and of algorithms could give digital curation the
commercial services in their offering will potential to replace the librarians’ function,
help libraries remain vital and relevant to having skilled professionals with the knowledge
their communities, especially in more isolated of when and how these resources and tools are
contexts. Physical interaction will remain a best deployed still enables more complete and
key demand of users, despite the opportunity effective outcomes.
for ubiquitous and constant information access The fast pace of technological advances
offered by technology. Libraries indeed play is challenging the training and skills of
a fundamental role in granting access to the librarian. A more open disposition to
essential resources to those who do not have the collaboration and a multi-disciplinary approach
means themselves. Furthermore, they provide will be key to stimulating the urgent process of
an opportunity to practice and experiment innovation. Integrated networks and cooperation
with exclusive technologies. Community between libraries will be critical in creating a
engagement will help in developing services shared infrastructure that has in the potential to
specifically targeted to users’ demands reduce costs and save unnecessary effort.
and aspirations. While the future is largely unknown,
Library spaces will need to be flexible and this research has demonstrated that the future
adaptable in order to stimulate collaboration is rich with opportunities for libraries and
and social interaction, while still enabling librarians in a world of rapid and continuous
quiet reflection and serendipitous discovery. change. Adaptability and flexibility will be key
To cope with a lack of space and conservation to providing spaces and services that respond
requirements, robotics and automation can be to user needs and expectations, while ensuring
deployed to achieve cost-effective solutions for solid and viable operation models both today
storage and physical archives. and in the future.

Left: Levinski Pop-up Library. Located in Tel Aviv’s Levinski Park, 37

it is designed to be an approachable hub for illegal immigrants.
Workshop Participants

London
Melbourne

External Arup External

Anne Ashdown Adam Pope Ben Conyers

TFPL Alan Mountain State Library of Victoria
Andrea Beddard
Cathy Linacre Jennifer Khan
Elisa Magnini
RICS City of Melbourne
Francesco Anselmo
Catriona Cannon James Griffith Julia Selzer
Bodleian Library,University Josef Hargrave Orica
of Oxford Julian Dawson
Mike Aulich
Diana Edmonds Julian Diamond
Australian Taxation Office
Greenwich Leisure Limited Mani Manivannan
Olivia Greenstreet Penny Jackson Decanted
Donald Lickley Richard Eeles Design
TFPL Richard Waites Philip Kent
Ian Heritage Rob Harris University of Melbourne
Gerald Eve Sophie Le Bourva
Stuart Nutton Susie Moreton
Maria Allan Stuart Smith Epworth Health
King’s College London Susan Moore
Mark Taylor Verity Relves Arup
CILIP Vicky Hague
Melissa Woolford Andrew Maher
Museum of Architecture Claire Regan
Greg Williams
Rebecca Gediking Jodi Downes
GLL Kim Sherwin
Sarah Currant Peter Bowtell
British Film Institute Phil Alexander-Pye
Stewart Bird
Sheila Pantry
Sheila Pantry Associatess

38 Future Libraries
San Francisco Sydney

External External

Erin Clinch Ben Laing Rosa Cotrona

ARG Herbert Smith Freehills BVN
Francis Gordon Cameron Morley Sarah Dundon
CofLS State Library NSW Department of Finance
Jane Chan Diana Richards Sharlene Louey
EHDD Australian Library & City of Sydney
Information Association Susan Shrubb
Leah Marthinsen
EHDD Dimity Holt Australian Catholic
Museum of Applied Arts University
Mary Grace Houlihan
& Sciences Vicki McDonald
CofLS
Elizabeth McKenzie State Library NSW
Australian Taxation Office
Arup
Gillian Simpson
Arup
Andrew Rhodes Australian Maritime Museum
Andrew Yeskoo Jennifer Burrell Anne Kovachevich
Arash Erfani Blacktown Public Library Ayrley Strewe
Becky Zegar Cynthia Wilson
Chris Luebkeman Karen Johnson
Greg Williams
Dimple Rana Museum of Applied Arts
Hugh Gardner
Frances Yang & Sciences
Kim Sherwin
Ignacio Barandiaran Karen Pymble Lachlan Outhred
Jacinda Ross Australian Maritime Museum
Jack Lim
Jacob Johnston Katie Albright
Jeffrey Dunn Herbert Smith Freehills
Jonathan Gervais Kirrin Sampson
Jonelle Simunich Australian Library &
Jose Goldaracena Information Association
Mark Summers
Linda Moffat
Martin Walker
Australian Maritime Museum
Paul Switenki
Radha Mistry Lucy Hegarty
Ritu Garg Westpac
Tyler Sheldon Mary Kelly
Sparke Helmore

39
References

1. Yoon-mi, K. (2011). W552 billion allocated for 180 new public libraries. The Korea Herald. http://www.koreaher-
ald.com/view.php?ud=20110126000678
2. Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Communities and Local Government, Brandon Lewis,
Ed Vaizey. Independent Library Report for England. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/
independent-library-report-for-england
3. Sawers, P. (2013). Internet pioneer Vint Cerf talks online privacy, Google Glass and the future of libraries. The
Next Web. http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/07/12/vint-cerf/
4. emarketer. Social Networking Reaches Nearly One in Four Around the World. 2013; Available from: http://www.
emarketer.com/Article/Social- Networking-Reaches-Nearly-One-Four-Around-World/1009976#lwue0cs SIEZ-
K7eqI.99
5. Kickstarter. The year in Kickstarter 2014. https://www.kickstarter.com/year/2014?ref=footer#intro
6. Kickstarter. Show me successful library projects in all categories on Earth with > 100% raised, sorted by most
funded. https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?state=successful&term=library&raised=2&sort=mo
st_funded
7. Gansky, L. (2010). The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing. Portfolio / Penguin Group.
8. Eaton, K. (2011). http://www.fastcompany.com/1755758/week-bots-see-latest-android-advances-wall-climbers-
and-robot-librarians-video
9. Siegler, M. (2010) Eric Schmidt: Every 2 Days We Create as Much Information as We Did up to 2003. Tech Crunch
http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/
10. Future Library (2012). http://about.futurelibrary.gr
11. Stavros Niarchos Foundation (2015). About the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. http://www.snfcc.
org/about-the-snfcc/vision/
12. Kolokotsas, D. (2013). Creating the Library of the Future in Greece. Google Europe Blog. http://googlepolicyeu-
rope.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/creating-library-of-future-in-greece.html
13. Wise, K. (2015) Library Social Worker Helps Homeless Seeking Quiet Refuge. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/news-
hour/bb/library-social-worker-helps-homeless-seeking-quiet-refuge/
14. Flood, A. (2014) Ferguson library receives flood of donations after Michael Brown unrest. The Guardian. http://
www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/27/ferguson-library-donations-michael-brown
15. Davies, K. (2014) Moscow metro opens virtual library of Russian classical literature. The Guardian http://www.
theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/03/sp-moscow-metro-russian-classical-literature
16. Microsoft Office Labs (2014). Future Vision. http://www.microsoft.com/office/labs/index.html

40 Future Libraries
 Christian_Richters

Seattle Central Library. This striking building, conceived as a celebration of books, attracted
over 2 million visitors in its first year.

About Arup

Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s

most prominent projects in the built environment and across
industry. We offer a broad range of professional services
that combine to make a real difference to our clients and the
communities in which we work.

We are truly global. From 100 offices in 38 countries our

11,000 planners, designers, engineers and consultants deliver
innovative projects across the world with creativity
and passion.

Founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values, our

unique trust ownership fosters a distinctive culture and an
intellectual independence that encourages collaborative
working. This is reflected in everything we do, allowing us
to develop meaningful ideas, help shape agendas and deliver
results that frequently surpass the expectations of our clients.

The people at Arup are driven to find a better way and to

deliver better solutions for our clients.

We shape a better world.

41
Acknowledgements Contributors

Authors External
Elisa Magnini
Fedele Canosa
Josef Hargrave
Mecanoo
Kim Sherwin
Sebastiaan Kaal
Graphic Design Mecanoo
Elisa Magnini Wolfram Lutterer
ZHB Luzern
Illustration
Steven Scicluna
Arup
Research Anna Pöyry
Elisa Magnini Felicitas Zu Dohna
Kim Sherwin Greg Williams
James Griffith Jennifer Greitschus
Jonelle Simunich
Project Management Mark Pearsall
Josef Hargrave Radha Mistry

42 Future Libraries
Image Credits

p 23
2008-in progress
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre
Athens, Greece
Client: The Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architects in collaboration with Betaplan (Athens)

Creative Commons Licensed

The references below indicate: (image link) by creator (creator’s link) license
p 17
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/faceme/9723693417/in/album-72157634360360752/) by Peter de
Wit (https://www.flickr.com/photos/faceme/) CC-BY
p 19
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/48209549@N02/7539132350/in/album-72157630505448428/) by
ocegep (https://www.flickr.com/photos/48209549@N02/) CC-BY
p 25
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/0742/5046618214/in/album-72157625084134546/ by http://
underclassrising.net (https://www.flickr.com/photos/0742/) CC-BY-SA
p 29
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbouie/14929698752/in/set-72157646091879339) by Jamelle
Bouie (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbouie/) CC-BY
p 35
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interactive_table_at_Ideen_2020_
exhibition_2013-04-16_09.27.08.jpg) by Daniel Mietchen (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
User:Daniel_Mietchen) CC-BY-SA

All copyright images used with permission

43
Libraries are going through a renaissance, both in terms of the
social infrastructure they provide and in terms of a diversification
of the services and experiences offered. In corporate environments
they are playing an increasingly important role in the provision of
collaborate workspace and innovation. In communities they are
evolving into hubs for education, health, entertainment and work.

This report brings to light significant trends that will influence the
future of public, academic and corporate libraries and outlines the
implications on their design, operation and user experience. It is the
result of a collective exploration through series of workshop events
held in London, Melbourne, San Francisco and Sydney, attended by
experts in the design and management of libraries.

This piece of research presents a glimpse into the future. It explores

what we may expect to see as the physical and the digital arena
continues to evolve and aims to serve as a foundation for further
discussion around the future role of libraries in the communities
they serve.

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