Dennis Pierce

With an ever-increasing volume of misinformation circulating online, students and adults alike need help navigating the information landscape and finding accurate data sources. Reference books and databases are critical in filling this need.

The pandemic has inspired people to learn new hobbies and skills as a strategy for coping with isolation. It’s also prompted readers to seek out advice on how to manage wellness as the events of the last few years have taken a huge toll on our collective mental, spiritual, and emotional health.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that librarians and other information professionals are pivotal leaders in the fight for our democracy. In a world where social media gatekeepers are doing little to prevent the spread of false information online, this trend is doing serious harm to a well-informed citizenry.

Audiobooks are the fastest-growing format in publishing, and this trend isn’t ending any time soon. As audiobook sales continue to rise, publishers are investing in more sophisticated recordings that use multicasting and other creative production techniques to enhance the listening experience.

The global pandemic has accelerated changes that were already under way in libraries from coast to coast, such as a movement toward patron self-service and making more online resources available for users. 

Collections are still important. But as libraries acquire more digital materials, they’re devoting less space to housing physical items. Instead, they’re creating flexible, multiuse spaces for people to gather, interact, and learn new skills. The modern library is a coffee house, a digital creation studio, a multigenerational meeting place, and much more.

Growth in the audiobook category has continued, fueled by readers seeking new experiences. In fact, more than 79,000 audiobooks were published in the United States last year, according to the Audio Publishers Association (APA). That represents a 39 percent increase in the number of audiobooks produced since 2019, Publishing Perspectives reports.

The $1.9 trillion pandemic relief legislation passed by Congress in March contains a significant amount of money for libraries to help their communities. In response, many companies are highlighting products that can be purchased with recovery funding.

Libraries have been reinventing themselves for well over a decade, as the emergence of smartphones and ubiquitous connectivity has put access to information into nearly everyone’s hands. No longer just repositories of information, libraries have morphed into full-service community centers that aim to meet a wide variety of civic and social needs.