Libraries and librarians in the 21th century: carriers of knowledge but also empathetic builders of a change

Abstract

In the 21^th century libraries and the network of Museums, Archives and Libraries are involved in processes that can be defined by forecasting techniques. In according to futurologists, the epochal passage takes place in the middle of the century and it is characterized by the exponential development of robotics and artificial intelligence. Among the variables, we have to consider the negative effects of globalization, above all the increasing economic disequalities and the exclusion of masses of human beings from the places where strategic decisions are taken. In this context, could be useful the establishment of a new librarianship paradigm: libraries and librarians have to pay attention to the destiny of the community, in order to promote a virtuous empowerment.