Adapting America's Public Libraries for the Digital Age

Book circulation is not the central focus of America's public libraries anymore. Or rather, it shouldn't be if our libraries want to remain relevant, according to a new report released today by the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries. The report is the result of a multiyear conversation about the future of America's public libraries and how they can best serve the emerging needs of their communities.

As we move forward into the digital age at what sometimes feels like warp speed, our communities continue to change—and what we need from our libraries continues to change, too. "While the public library was conceived in an age of information scarcity, today's networked world is one of information abundance and mobility," states the report. "Public libraries have the DNA needed to thrive in this new information-rich, knowledge-based society."