6. Epilogue

The Future?:“The Academic Library Autopsy Report, 2050”

Are we becoming extinct?

In the video clip posted in our Preface, Miller describes a research project he was able to do without visiting the library at all. As noted already, research has found that humanists and social scientists tend not to use librarians for help, and with the rise of technology, they may not need to physically step foot in a library at all.

Please read this short and provocative “The Academic Library Autopsy Report, 2050” written by librarian Richard T. Sullivan earlier this year (Chronicle of Higher, Jan 2011. Click here for comment thread).

For Discussion #2, share your reaction to Sullivan's prediction. Do you agree with his claims? What do you see as the future of the librarians’ role in humanities and social science research?