Changing Times: Changing Libraries

For the past twenty-three years, the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science has held annual 3-day institutes on a variety of topics of interest to librarians. In this bicentennial year it seemed appropriate for the institute to look to the future, to the possible social, scientific and technological trends that may shape our lives. With this in mind, a group of distinguished specialists and librarians was assembled to discuss social change and its implications for libraries. Scientists, economists, political scientists, businessmen, educators, and other professionals are trying to understand and possibly to forecast future developments. Since social change is inevitable, librarians must be ready and alert to understand, explain and cope with change during their professional lives. The specialists invited to the institute were asked to discuss from their own research perspectives:
(1) Three major causes of change—government, economic conditions, and science and technology; (2) possible results of change in three areas of vital interest—humanities (including leisure and morals), education and social institutions; and (3) the process of change and ways to create conditions for change. Librarian respondents were to point out various implications for librarians of the remarks made by each of the specialists, and to be ready with their own views on the topics if necessary.