Library 2035: Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries

In this follow-up to Joseph Janes’s Library 2020, editor Hirsh (associate dean for academics, San José State Univ.; Information Services Today) explores the challenges, opportunities, and threats facing libraries of the future. Twenty-nine contributors from various library types and fields, including professors, administrators, and practitioners, were asked to frame their discussion around six topics: landscape, community, equity and inclusion, organizations, library workers, and vision. While some readers may struggle with the book’s grouping all types of libraries together (especially considering differences in scope and scale), the wide-ranging thoughts and predictions encourage them to consider the greater field of information services. The book is enhanced with individual interviews with the authors, available for viewing in a webcast format, which are a vibrant opportunity to engage with the content on a different level. From discussions about equity in school libraries to challenges facing community college libraries, this excellent compilation offers food for thought for librarians hoping to make the most of future opportunities. As for the book’s predictions, only time will tell how accurate the forecasts prove to be.