I trust that my peers directing libraries across the country and across the world are trying to do the right thing in an unprecedented time, with incomplete and ever-changing information and directives from above, and in a situation that we were largely not trained or educated for.  I offer the following notes in support of directors trying to make the right decision. These are rough and incomplete notes, so if this doesn’t address something you think is important, please feel free to address it yourself. In the early morning hours of Friday, March 13, I made the decision to close the librar ..read more

(After a year long hiatus from external speaking engagements, I accepted an invitation to speak in Madrid at an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Madrono Consorcio.  Below is the text of my talk.) It is a privilege to be able to speak with you and to share with you my thoughts on the future of libraries, and some of what we are doing at MIT to reimagine what a research library can and should be and do in a computational age. I am particularly happy to be talking to you on the 20th anniversary of this consortium, which is committed to the same kind of sharing and collaboration acros ..read more