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6 growing trends taking over academic libraries

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Spreading digital fluency is now a core responsibility of academic libraries, and Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are poised to amplify the utility and reach of library services like never before. These are just two of the revelations part of the New Media Consortium’s (NMC) University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Chur, Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB), ETH Library, and the Association of College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Annual Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition [1].

The report, which decides the trends and technologies that will have a dramatic influence on academic libraries in the next 5 years—thanks to a panel of 75 experts composed of library leaders, librarians, technologists, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders from 14 countries—aims to help leaders seeking inspiration, models, and tactical insight around strategy and technology deployment for academic libaries.

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“We are invigorated that the partnerships behind our library report have grown even stronger over three editions,” said Eden Dahlstrom, executive director of the NMC, in a statement. “Academic and research libraries are not just a vital part of scholarship, but also advancing knowledge and society as a whole. They play an important role as curators and purveyors of high-quality research, supported by innovative infrastructure.”

Key Trends Accelerating Technology Adoption

According to the report, the trends that will affect technology use and adoption in academic libraries are:

(Short-Term, 1-2 years):

(Mid-Term, 3-5 years):

(Long-Term, 5 or more years):

(Next page: The 6 influential technologies on the academic library horizon)

Important Developments in Ed-Tech in Higher Ed
According to the report, due to the trends currently affecting academic libraries, the technologies that all libraries should take note of include:

(Short-Term, 1-2 years):

Copyright: 2017 NMC

 

(Mid-Term, 3-5 years):

(Long-Term, 5 or more years):

(Next page: The challenges associated with the trends and technologies)

Challenges to Technology Adoption

The report highlights significant challenges impeding technology adoption in academic libraries, which include:

(Solvable; understand how to solve):

(Difficult; understand issue but solutions are elusive):

(Wicked; complex even to define, much less address):

For much more in-depth information on these trends, technologies and challenges, as well as information on methodology, resources, and technology planning guides for institutions, read the full report, “NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition. [1]