Presented at: GSEF2016 Montreal

Organisation: Toronto Tool Library and Sharing Depot (SSE organization)

Date: September 8, 2016

Presenter: Ms. Sheetal Lodhia (Board Member - Executive Director at Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas (IPLAI), McGill University)

Contacts: sheetallodhia7@gmail.com

Summary: 

Public libraries need to adapt their service offerings to continue to be relevant in the 21st century. The good news is the hardest part is already done – Public Libraries have superb locations, excellent staff and name recognition. The difficulty is the vast majority of their inventory is outdated with the growing prevalence of e-books, online streaming for music and movies and access to information via the internet in general. Today’s library, therefore, needs to grow their offerings and start converting their spaces to loan a wide range of goods that cannot be accessed digitally. From loaning tools and sporting equipment to offering innovative workshops and Makerspaces, many libraries are already making the transition. Find out more about the future of libraries and how to transition to a more shareable society.