International Federation of Library Associations Trend Report 2021 Update

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has published the Update of its 2021 Trend Report:

"To ensure the sustainability of our communities, institutions and profession, we owe it to ourselves to think through the trends and forces that may shape the world around us in the years to come, be they political, economic, technological, cultural or environmental."

"IFLA’s Trend Report series – launched in 2013, and with updates in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 – is there to support this reflection as a key part of individual and organisational development (...) "

"The Update shares 20 different suggested trends – some complementary, some contradictory – that the people who will be leading our field in ten years felt would mark their professional lives. For each one, a short section highlights key questions and aspects, as well as potential responses for the library field. The trends are: 

1. Tough times ahead
2. Virtual is here to stay
3. The comeback of physical spaces
4. The rise of soft skills
5. Diversity gets taken seriously
6. An environmental reckoning
7. A mobile popupation
8. The impatient user
9. An analogue backlash
10. Scale matters
11. Data domination
12. Search transformed
13. Race to the extremes
14. Lifelong learners
15. A single, global collection
16. The privatisation of knowledge
17. Qualifications matter
18. Information literacy recognised
19. ‘Open’ raises questions about libraries’ unique selling point
20. Inequalities deepen"