The future of libraries will focus on our ability to redefine the library as a center for learning, service, access, and collaboration. This presentation will discuss these collaborative efforts in several areas: Progress and investment in turning our physical spaces into collaborative learning environments; advocacy for the role of the library to internal and external partners; providing technology infused access and support services; getting content to students and faculty when and how they need it; and the migration from siloed to networked information. Included in this presentation will be discussion and examples drawn from the library community, as well as examples of how our interactions with the vendor community must change in order to achieve sustainable models in an era of constrained resources. Access and discovery will continue to change; the role of academic libraries will continue to evolve; and technology will flatten fee and access models to the point where new, innovative, and sustainable access models can emerge for those libraries, and those vendors, that are willing to recognize that the status quo must change. Included in this discussion will be the movement from owned to leased access to content, provide examples of innovative demand driven collection development strategies, and inspire libraries to recognize, and leverage, their strengths achieve greater sustainability in serving our constituents.
