I see my library in the future as a community hub. Not just for reading and obtaining information, but also a space to meet, discuss and relax.
A typical visit to the library may involve paying your rates, catching up with friends over a coffee and muffin, watching the Australia vs South Africa 20/20 final, dropping off the children in the gaming area to play wii, reading the paper on your ereader plus downloading a few new titles onto it, popping through to the art gallery and picking up your child from the crèche.
No longer are community services physically divided, but flow into each other. I see the term “library” being superseded by another. Akin to the QANTAS club lounge or a Border’s bookshop on steroids, this evolution from repository of books to center of your world is underway. —Jim
