EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN—OR IS IT?
By Paula Kaufman
Keynote address, LAUNC-CH Conference
March 17, 2003


Contrasting the fundamental, discontinuous transformation occurring now in higher education 
with the linear developments of the past, Paula Kaufman answered, "I don't think so" to the 
question posed by her title.  "It is no longer valid to think of the past as morphing into the 
future."  Whereas the history of libraries focuses on the mission of collecting, preserving, 
organizing and servicing materials, the future will depend less on the growth of collections than 
on the expertise of librarians in deploying technology to help universities perform their important 
social roles.  While waving a piece of shimmering gold gauze, Kaufman replaced the static 
image of libraries as separate buildings housing huge collections with the image of a fluid, 
integrated, collaborative commodity covering all aspects of universities, both physical and 
virtual.

"We are headed down a twisting, turning path" during the current enormous economic 
destabilizing period, Kaufman remarked.  She predicted that higher education would not rebound 
as it had in the past.  The institutions that survive will be the ones that harness technology to 
keep pace with the information revolution.  Just as universities of the future will be more 
collaborative than supportive, so will libraries of the future emphasize information analysis and 
distribution more than description and access to collections.  The greatness of librarians will be 
measured by their expertise in collaborating with others in the creation, use and dissemination of 
knowledge.  In response to a question about education for library and information professionals, 
Kaufman asserted the need to train librarians to understand academic institutions more than 
libraries.

Kaufman warned that regulations are the most significant barrier to open and equal access to 
intellectual resources.  How we meet the challenge of creating information policies will 
determine the future of academic institutions more than technological innovations.  We cannot 
continue to rely only on lobbyists for universities and scholarly organizations to argue for 
policies in the public arena.  Instead, many more professionals will have to engage with 
legislators in crafting optimal information policies.

Ms. Kaufman concluded by offering several guides for the future.  Librarians need to monitor 
changes in scholarship, universities, and society.  They need to recognize that more information 
is available outside the library than through it.  Librarians need to develop the ability to 
anticipate advances in technology and to maintain an ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders.



Reported by Susan Bello