(courtesy of Library Stuff)

Don't let Google and the Pennypinchers Get You Down: Defending (or Redefining) Libraries and Librarianship in the Age of Technology. (free online) by Bill Crowley in Proceedings Beyond 20/20 Envisioning the Future: 2007 British Columbia Library Conference, Burnaby (Canada).

Abstract
What are libraries really about? If libraries and librarians cannot compete with information technology giants like Google, how can they remain relevant to their communities of users? Crowley explores ways to understand how the general public and students view libraries. Bluntly stated, there is no longer any way that librarians and trustees can convince residents of local communities and members of college and university campuses that libraries are their primary information source. Given this reality, Crowley introduces the concept of lifecycle librarianship, offering a useful way of considering library roles and securing the necessary human and financial resources to carry them through. This presentation will encourage realistic and original thinking about the future of libraries and professional librarianship by redefining their primary roles from information suppliers to education providers and self-learning facilitators.

Wow. I am left speachless, it is very interesting and now I have to sit back for a while and chew on those thoughts and see it from the medical library perspective.

Labels: Google