The very short answer to this question is “Ask the community!” Do members want more scholarly works, access to more digital material, fewer rules, a greater variety of programs? To whom do the present services cater? These may seem like simple questions, but the answers can only be derived by a better understanding of the community. The concept of community is dynamic – spanning many overlapping groups – residents, parents, professionals, sportsmen, homemakers- all who both share common interests and unique needs. 

The value of a library is most often defined by its commitment to making information free and open to all. This role exemplifies the deeply rooted American belief in the individual’s right to know and be informed. However valid this concept may be, it fails to encompass the more current public view that a library is more than a warehouse of books but, rather, a more inclusive perception is that of libraries as community living room.

A library is a civic space. It is its ability to change in the direction of current and future service needs that will spell success. What we must strive to build are compelling, challenging and inspiring environments that create the conditions for learning. As librarians, we must be open to all tools that fit a purpose, that aid members in their knowledge creation process. If we expect the library to remain a valuable community resource, we must not shy away from negotiating the means by which we serve. If we were to continue based on old perceptions of the library as a quiet book repository we would likely find ourselves without support.

The value of our library is to make our community and, ultimately, our society a better place. Its role is as facilitator, creating the conditions for learning and supporting the need for sharing.