OCLC Global Survey on the Library in the Future

The international library technology and research organization OCLC conducted a global survey recently to see how libraries were approaching planning for the future.

There were respondents from dozens of countries, the top five being the US, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Among the major findings:

• Libraries will increasingly play the role of “space providers”
• Demand for open access in academic libraries will intensify
• Resource sharing through consortia will increase
• Partnerships with non-profit and government agencies will increase for public libraries
• Academic librarians expect increased partnerships with consortia and other libraries
• Library workers may see more flexible working options and access to mental health care
• Additional need for data analytics is expected

Just over half of respondents are from academic (or education) libraries. Nearly a third (30%) are from public libraries and 18% are from other library types, such as government and special libraries.