FLICC Forum 2009 - The Future of Reading
The world is currently awash in conflicting theories about reading. Book sales are plummeting while readership is increasing, reversing 20 years of downward trends. Numbers of online readers continue to spiral upward yet these digital readers are still committed to print materials. More people are using public libraries and online library visits are soaring, yet nearly half the states are cutting library funding. Demands for more data and more research echo across academia, industry and government while print and electronic publishers are downsizing. Federal libraries are in high demand but are asked to do more with less funding and staff. Social media becomes a politician’s best communication vehicle and new weapon of the revolutionary while traditional news media retool or disappear.
Last Updated: 09/17/2009