Public libraries have been rethinking their futures as a part of their communities. The redefinition of the public library continues in many different avenues. The NY Times has a great article about various special collections being developed around the country: These Public Libraries Are for Snowshoes and Ukuleles, Everything from cooking implements, sport and leisure equipment to scientific tools are being checked out to patrons now. Telescopes, sewing machines, and fishing rods are all things people find useful, but use infrequently enough to make them great examples of this movement.
“They realized that the way you best serve your community is to look
like them,” ... “For some, that means 3-D printers.
For others, it means fishing rods.” Which begs the question of what does RPL's community "look like"? These special lending libraries also bring up a host of additional concerns and questions, such as maintenance, tech support, breakage, and replacement, all above and beyond initial funding.
A different option for public libraries is to embrace and explore the role as a place for the sanctity of free speech and privacy. New Hampshire has the "First Library to Offer Anonymous Web Browsing" but this was later shut down by Homeland Security. Whether or not this practice becomes commonplace or not, it is an interesting use of available technology. It is yet to be seen whether these trailblazers are creating avenues down which RPL will travel in the future. Much depends on what our community and patrons decide they want, which is ultimately the deciding factor.
