Torontonians Imagine and Design the Library of the Future
Robot librarians, hologram rooms, digital memories, and wearable library cards. These are just some of the amazing and fun ideas imagined by Torontonians who participated in a design challenge at the Reference Library on Thursday, November 6.
The event was presented in partnership between Ryerson Transmedia Zone, Penguin Random House, and the library, via our Digital Innovation Hubs. Inspired by Stephen Fry's new book, More Fool Me, the design challenge invited the 60+ participants to design and imagine the library of the future.
Seven teams, each with its own focus – such as journalism, fabrication, and architecture – and under the guidance of a team leader chose a timeline (e.g. 2080), a mood (utopia or dystopia), and an arc (e.g. rise or fall of the library).
Then with just five hours available, each team created an artifact that represented their timeline, mood and arc – and an area of focus (e.g. the future of the book). All seven teams presented their artifact at the final hour and received feedback from a rep from all three partners.
This was my first time participating in a design challenge, which is a variation of a hackathon. It was an amazing learning experience and a big thanks to our partners at the Transmedia Zone who led the formation of the teams and the day's structure.
I participated – along with three colleagues – as a “floater.” We travelled from team to team to help answer questions about the library that the teams may have.
I left the day very inspired by the teamwork and ideas on display. I loved the free-flowing process and how the event's structure encouraged open-mindedness and idea sharing. While pie-in-the-sky was encouraged, I also saw experienced design challenge organizers reign in the teams and focused them towards having a presentable artifact by the presentation hour.
As someone who very much has an in-library world perspective, it was refreshing to see non-library folks' take on the library. It was encouraging that all the teams envisioned a utopian future, where libraries continued to play a positive and strong role. While one participant had a slightly dystopian future, where oxygen refuelling stations are needed, it was amusing to see that libraries played a role in providing that access! I guess free wifi is not such a big deal anymore in 2080.
The presentations themselves were quite enjoyable to watch. The teams took different approaches. Some recorded and played back audio skits. Some designed and printed library PSA posters from the future. One team also used the Digital Innovation Hub’s 3D printer to print a prototype of their idea: a wearable library card.
As part of the day's activities, participants were also encouraged to write a love letter – a personal message – to the library of the future. The letters have been collected and stored in a time capsule in the library's Special Collections – with instructions to our future colleagues to open it on November 6, 2040. So save the date!
Missed the event? The Ryerson team had a video documentary team on site all day. Watch a short documentary of the day's activities below.
3 thoughts on “Torontonians Imagine and Design the Library of the Future”
Since Shopper’s Drug Mart sells groceries now, why shouldn’t the Library provide oxygen in 2080? The Library provides other “brain food” ie. information. It’s a perfect combination.
I wonder if the Library of the Future will be predominently holograms and downloads to tablets. Will the Reference Library and the branches become storage pods for virtual books? Will it be a “Museum of the Word?” I don’t mean just a museum of printed books – though conservation of printed books should be in place. Not all existing printed information will be digitized and books are themselves artifacts of their times. I mean a place where information in every medium is available, classified, taught and reconfigured by the staff and the patron to a package that satisfies not just that patron but helps the next patron six months later to design her own package to use on her home computer. Maybe a meld between a school, a museum / archive, a self-publishing facility and a library.
Hi Marilyn,
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful response. 2080 is certainly a long time away and I could see some of these predictions – like the oxygen refuelling – being a reality.
An interesting common thread that wove through the seven different teams was an appreciation of the library as a community place and a safe space to store artifacts. By artifacts, I don’t mean just books, but information in all its forms. Two examples include a future library where people’s memories and “essence” are digitized and made available for others to consume. Another example was the concept of library membership – where one’s “profile,” including memories, is stored in a record and downloaded into their “card” (membership). Someone described it as “Memoir 3.0.”
Interesting that you noted the meld between a school, museum and library. One group actually predicted that schools and libraries would be merged one day in the future.
Lastly, I just wanted to respond on your brief comment about “self-publishing facility.” The Library launched our Asquith Press service earlier this year, which allows users to print their own books. More information can be found here: http://www.tpl.ca/asquithpress
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, Marilyn!
– Ab.
I like your idea of information in every medium being collected in the library of the future – maybe we’ll have much better ways of collecting information from different media. I’m thinking more of less concrete knowledge, things that are taken as given, that “everybody knows” and thus aren’t recorded anywhere. I’m reminded of this video about how to cite oral knowledge on wikipedia: http://vimeo.com/26469276
Maybe in 2080 we will have a more ethereal way to capture knowledge than clunky writing!