The future of libraries standing the test of time: reflections about the document Disegnare il futuro della biblioteca: linee guida per la redazione dei piani strategici per le biblioteche pubbliche

Abstract

The paper reflects on the future of libraries, moving from Disegnare il futuro della biblioteca: linee guida per la redazione dei piani strategici per le biblioteche pubbliche (i.e. Drawing library futures: guidelines for strategic planning in public libraries), the document issued in autumn 2020 by the National Commission for Public Libraries of the Italian Library Association. The pandemic crisis accelerated a series of social, economic and cultural phenomena; on the one hand, this highlighted the capacity of adaptability and response demonstrated by the cultural sector, most of all its ability to face the digital demand and other emerging needs; on the other hand, though, the situation highlighted the gaps and inefficiency of short-term approaches and visions, and revealed the infrastructural weakness, a certain fragility in the organizations and a lack of those skills needed to face the change. In this historical moment, strategic planning can represent an important advocacy opportunity for public libraries, as emerging goals are being agreed upon with stakeholders and in economic, human and planning resources are being negotiated with funders and policy makers. In this sense, the document can become the perfect tool at the right time, capable of fostering the overall growth of political awareness of the role that libraries can and must play in the new scenario; moreover, it also represents a compass to identify the necessary programmatic, technical, administrative, economic, organizational and cultural connections, which are prerequisites to start the transformation.