The future of the library in the digital age

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion that included Deb Thomas, Deputy Chief Librarian of the Burnaby Public Library and Gwen Bird, University Librarian at Simon Fraser University.

 

Singh spoke to the role of the library as a democratic “third space” — a place where people can come to learn key literacies that extend beyond reading, writing, and numeracy to digital, media, and ethical literacies. She addressed the importance of the library as a physical space where people, and their multiple perspectives, interact directly with one another.

 

In her comments, Deb Thomas addressed the importance of the physical collection of a community library, given that many of the activities in the space are still centred on actual books. Gwen Bird spoke about the role of the university library as a repository of academic publishing as well as a study space, utilised more for the exchange of ideas between students and academics.

 

The afternoon offered a reminder that the library is one of the few spaces remaining where individuals can develop their knowledge without the journey being tracked and scrutinised in a world where everything is recorded or kept as data. It is also a place to find accurately researched and curated information about key issues and topics.