The Minnesota Library Futurists met on June 1^st and June 2^nd at the Maple Grove Public Library. The group scheduled a two day meeting for the purpose of gathering and building upon our ideas from day to day, and to share and finalize ideas for the outcomes process. The primary focus for the two-day meeting was Marketing and Advocacy, though Collaboration was discussed again as well.

The June 1^st meeting kicked off with small group discussions regarding recommendations and possible outcomes for each focus area. The outcomes and recommendations were written, gathered, and submitted to team members from each focus area. Members from each of the focus areas met later to discuss these recommendations. This process ensured that all Futurists had a say in the final outcomes and recommendations for each focus area, not just their own. Later, the Futurists benefited from a panel of speakers on the topic of Marketing. Guest speakers included Meg Gerritsen-Knodl (Senior Librarian – Information and Online Services, Hennepin County Library System), Gail Hedstrom (Director, Elbow Lake Library), and David Lee King (Digital Branch and Services Manager, Topeka Public Library).  Key ideas or pieces of advice during the panel discussion included: marketing libraries well before it’s too late, using multimedia as well as traditional forms of communication to reach potential library users, marketing key items of interest that will attract users – don’t just market the traditional library building, market where your community is, and use your personality and be authentic in your writing style to draw people in. 

The June 2^nd meeting focused on Advocacy and began with presentations and a Q&A session with Michael Scott (Assistant Director, SELCO and MLA Legislative Chair) and Mark Ranum (Director, Plum Creek Library System). Michael and Mark shared with the group their experiences in advocating for Minnesota libraries. Michael shared the roles and responsibilities that come with the position of MLA Legislative Chair. Both Michael and Mark expressed that you don’t have to be an expert, rather just care, show up, and make an effort; people currently involved in library advocacy want future library advocates to succeed and they will seek out ways to inform and assist you in becoming more involved.

During the remainder of the meeting, the Futurists focused on small group work and outcomes. Throughout the summer, many of the small focus groups will continue to meet (whether face-to-face or virtually) to develop and construct outcomes. The large group plans to reconvene near the end of summer. The Futurists will share results and outcomes with the library community in the fall.

Do you have ideas about the future Minnesota libraries? Please use this survey to connect with us or join the conversation at our blog.

Minnesota Library Futures Initiative Update:  3/1/11

The Minnesota Library Futurists are continuing with their exciting work. Their last meeting was held at the Plymouth branch library on February 11^th. A portion of the day was used to discuss marketing and advocacy for libraries, while the majority of the meeting focused on planning, logistics, and outcomes. The Futurists plan to revisit the topic of marketing and advocacy in the near future.

The January meeting was held on January 21st at the St. Paul Academy and Summit School. The discussion focused on the topic of technology in libraries. Additionally, the group benefited from a panel of four forward-thinking professionals from a variety of backgrounds. The conversation between the panelists and the Futurists explored real world conflicts that information professionals face when using technology in libraries — and the world beyond. For more detailed information about this and past meetings, please visit the MNLFI website. A Twitter feed (@MNLFI2025) has been added to the site and the blog continues to abound with innovative posts and ideas.

The next MNLFI meeting will be held on Saturday, March 19^th at Saint Mary’s University’s graduate campus in Minneapolis. The focus for the day is Education and Information Literacy. Guest speakers include Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology at Mankato Schools, and Tom Eland, Librarian from Minneapolis Community and Technical College. This free event, from 9:30-11:30AM, is open to the library community, but space is limited. If you plan to attend, please RSVP. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Kate Peterson (katep@umn.edu, 612-626-3746).

On December 10th the Minnesota Library Futurists gathered at the St. Cloud Public Library to discuss the general outlook for Minnesota in 2025, with the goal of creating a common framework for the Futurist’s work in upcoming months.  In preparation for the meeting, Futurists researched current trends and outlooks for demographics, economics, education, and technology. For each of these areas, mini-SWOT analyses were performed.

 Additionally, Futurists analyzed and discussed the current political climate and how it could impact the library landscape in 2025. Ideas for how libraries will move forward into the future began to present themselves as the day came to a close.  These ideas have been recorded for further examination.

 The Futurists are also excited to announce that a website and blog are now available. The website is available at https://sites.google.com/site/mnlfi2025/home, and will be used to convey information about the MN Library Futures Initiative, the 23 Futurists, the key focus areas, future-forward bibliographies, archived recordings of guest speakers (when available), and plans for upcoming meetings. Feedback and ideas from the library community are welcome on the MNLFI blog at http://mnlfi2025.blogspot.com/?zx=4e5a215efb8b40d7. The blog will include updates from the Futurists, but the hope is that those with an interest in the future of libraries will also post to the blog. Questions, commentary, and ideas about the future are encouraged.

The group’s next meeting will take place at St. Paul Academy on Friday, January 21^st. The focus for the day is technology.