Working Paper Publication

During the 1999-2000 academic year the Teachers College Seminar on the Future of Libraries engaged in a number of activities designed to inform the Seminar members and the broader Teachers College community about the possibilities for libraries in the years ahead. To take stock of our progress thus far members of the seminar were asked to prepare summary comments. This report consolidates those comments and summarizes the work of the seminar.

The report begins by describing three roles for libraries in the future. Each of these roles will be important for research libraries in general and each has implications for the future of Milbank Library at Teachers College. Our description of these roles is not meant to suggest that they are the only roles libraries will play in the future or that these roles will displace the current roles of libraries. Rather, we present these roles to highlight the new work that is currently being done and will be done in libraries and by librarians.

Following the description of the emerging roles for libraries, we present an initial set of recommendations regarding Milbank Library. The list of recommendations is necessarily incomplete, but the members of the Seminar feel confident that the recommendations we do present are sound.

Finally, the appendix to the report contains the list of members of the Seminar and the highlights of the Seminar Sessions held over the spring semester. Tapes of the Seminar presentations are available for those interested in further details of any presentation.

edlab@tc.columbia.edu

http://edlab.tc.columbia.edu/files/EdLab_Future.pdf