TheStar.com had a great article on the role of libraries today AND the future of libraries.  The article, ‘A tale of two countries’ libraries’, looked at public libraries in Canada and the U.S.A. to see what is working.  Here is an excerpt:

‘In a 2006 poll, 78 per cent of Americans said if their local library were closed, they would feel “that something essential and important has been lost, affecting the whole community.” The percentage is probably even higher here (in Canada).  But the challenge, say the professionals, is to redesign library interiors to accommodate all customers: different zones for those who want a quiet, reflective place to read and reflect and those in for a quick computer browse or to watch a movie or borrow an eBook, and eventually a laptop and other devices’

Read the entire article - http://www.thestar.com