En såkaldt ‘Research Committee’ under ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) har haft som opgave at komme med 10 formodninger om fremtiden for forskningebibliotekerne.
De 10 formodninger (ranked):
1. There will be an increased emphasis on digitizing collections, preserving digital archives, and improving methods of data storage and retrieval.
2. The skill set for librarians will continue to evolve in response to the needs and expectations of the changing populations (students and faculty) that they serve.
3. Students and faculty will increasingly demand faster and greater access to services.
4. Debates about intellectual property will become increasingly common in higher education.
5. The demand for technology-related services will grow and require additional funding.
6. Higher education will increasingly view the institution as a business.
7. Students will increasingly view themselves as customers and consumers, expecting high-quality facilities and services.
8. Distance learning will be an increasingly more common option in higher education, and will coexist but not threaten the traditional bricks-and-mortar model.
9. Free public access to information stemming from publicly funded research will continue to grow.
10. Privacy will continue to be an important issue in librarianship
Se den uddybede liste i aprilnummeret af College & Research Libraries News (2007, vol. 68, no. 4):
Top ten assumptions for the future of academic libraries and librarians: A report from the ACRL research committee