Librarians, Learning, and Creativity: A Boundary-Breaking Perspective

Abstract

In the increasingly interconnected world of the Web, in which information seekers want to work self-sufficiently, how can librarians continue to contribute to saving time and advancing the state of knowledge? Taking the Web, dramatic shifts in information-seeking behavior, and technology-driven research, teaching and learning as starting points, Karen Calhoun will suggest a proactive, community-based, collaborative role for libraries and librarians in the online information marketplace of the twenty-first century.

Calhoun's talk, which explores libraries' traditional boundaries and a possible new model for a library's participation in its community, provides a number of examples of strategic choices and actions, including making library collections and services more visible. She concludes with a discussion of the role of the creative workplace and leadership in achieving renewed vision, sustainable change, and ongoing innovation in libraries.