Roberta Stevens

A key goal of the 2011–2015 ALA strategic plan is to provide leadership in the transformation of libraries and library services for today’s dynamic and increasingly global digital information environment. Virtually every media interview I’ve had during the past seven months has been an occasion to illustrate how libraries, the people who work in them, and the services offered by them reflect the remarkable changes in communications and information access during the past two decades. My mantra is: Libraries have been and continue to transform themselves to be responsive to the needs of the populations they serve.

Reporters are often surprised to learn about the soaring circulation of materials. “Yes,” I say, “People are still checking out books. In fact, more books than ever. And, by the way, we have e-books!” It’s hard to resist asking media representatives if they have actually been in their local library recently. If so, they certainly would have seen that people are often waiting to get on the computers to access online databases and e-government services, file job applications, send e-mail messages, or conduct research related to their small businesses. Libraries are busy because they are central to the lives of millions of families, students, older adults, entrepreneurs, and those who require assistance in weathering the economic challenges of the past few years.