May 27, 2008

Right Brained libraries?

I am currently reading A whole new mind : why right-brainers will rule the future. It is a very interesting concept that he argues in this book. The world has seen different phases. The agricultural age, the Industrial revolution, and the Information age that we are now in the ends of. As the ages and technologies progressed, Left brained or Critical thinking skills were the main needs and where right brained or creativity thinking once nonexistant has slowly been accepted or become a key player.
Now as the technology and information age wanes. Left brain Thinking such as engineering accounting, banking and virtually all industry can be done on computers and the Internet by anybody anywhere in the world on any computer. The new emerging phase needs and will demand right brain or crative thinking.
Putting this all in the perspective of the libraries and WEB 2.0 or future versions I have to ask. If all the library services are pushed more and more online. If all the reference and information services and resources and databases can be outsourced from India or China or be completely accessed online. Outside of becoming a subscription portal, what will the library become especially as print materials become more expensive or phased out for electronic versions. Web 2.0 only enhances this movement of the information to a global service.
When I started in the library over 20 years ago the theme was "Books and a whole lot more."
I think this still stand true and perhaps even more so now. It is the creative or right brain thinking that is needed to figure out or design what this really implies in the libraries emerging role as more and more of its traditional left Brain roles can now be performed or accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world.

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