Following the 2024 Trend Report Literature Review, IFLA ran a survey in August to gather perspectives on the impacts of the Trends identified, as well as the connections between them. The results are now available, and will support the definition of scenarios in the full Trend Report.

The central mission of IFLA’s Trend Report is to support libraries, library and information workers, and their associations in approaching the future in an informed, structured and confident way.

It is therefore fitting that the launch of the 2024 edition – the first major new edition since the original in 2013, will take place at the Information Futures Summit in Brisbane, Australia, on 30 September – 3 October.

The Report, like the Summit, is focused on taking stock of evolutions in the knowledge and information environment, looking at what could come next, and exploring how – practically – the library field can help shape this.

This will not be about defining a specific vision, rather looking at the different futures that might lie ahead, and how we can adapt to them.

To support this work, the Trend Report 2024 will centre around a series of scenarios. These build on the trends already identified in the Trend Report Literature Review, exploring the positive or negative consequences these could have, and in particular how they might interact.

In order to guide these scenarios, IFLA ran a survey between 9 and 29 August, welcoming inputs and perspectives from across the field. The results of this work are now available.

The resulting analysis underlines the field’s enthusiasm about trends towards a greater focus on community, as well as steps to address and update knowledge practices. It notes an expectation of growing demand for libraries, in particular faced with growing need for skills and concerns about digital equity. While few expect environmental trends to benefit libraries or societies, respondents do see these developments increasing need for library services.

The paper also include information by region, length of experience and library type, and can provide a basis for discussion on its own. In the meanwhile, it will be supporting the lead authors on the Trend Report in finalising their work in time for the Information Futures Summit.

View the results.

The Trend Report Literature Review was made possible by a grant from Stichting IFLA Global Libraries (SIGL)