The document discusses the future of libraries and whether they will continue to be relevant. It touches on the fragmentation of information sources and whether libraries can help defragment information. The role of libraries as community spaces for sharing information and stories is explored, with some analogizing modern libraries to secular cathedrals or abbeys. The conclusion raises the question of whether libraries may architect their own destruction if they do not adapt to changing information needs and technologies.

1. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/piet_musterd/2730906433/Do libraries have a future?Bethan Ruddock, ILI 2010

2. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesleyhyphenanne/2573506227A world without libraries?

3. FragmentationImage used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_john2005/328072564

4. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpt_obvious/2873158161/

5. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/1387587933/Defragmentation?

7. ...seeking to understand ourselvesImage used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/heelsversuscobbles/3862691685

8. ECHO CHAMBER?Image used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/blaineo/4439596135/

9. RootsRoutesImage used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/aj_baxter/4928482178/Image used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/20013727@N02/1966810552/

10. 8 million stories in this naked profession...Image used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/macop/58220406

12. Libraries as the new secular cathedrals?Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpundt79/3381739331/

13. Libraries as the new secular abbeys… facing dissolution?Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/sovietuk/227985216/

14. Image used under a CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/smaku/161679628

15. Architects of our own destruction?Image used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/eklektikos/2541408630

16. Bethan Ruddock, Content Development, Library & Archival Services, Mimas@bethanar bethaninfoprof.wordpress.com bethan.ruddock@manchester.ac.ukImage used under CC licence from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenosaur/4051305996/