The library I work out of is classified as ‘rural’ by many definitions. Palatka has 10,000 residents, with 63,000 more living in the other communities and the edges of the county. The needs of our residents vary from what one would find in a larger city: many of our patrons are living on poverty wages, without access to the internet or even a computer to get online with. Our population is more interested in tech but doesn’t always have access to use or learn with it.

The rural library of the future will need to rethink its place in its community, rising to meet the needs of those it serves. Ensuring that there is access to basic internet by becoming an internet provider will be a crucial element in providing for our population. More than just WiFi in the building, we should be able to offer free, basic internet to the county we serve so that people can at least get online, job search, and communicate.

Supporting a changing workforce by providing coworking areas will keep our services relevant, while pushing for more digital access to things like archives, country records, and free, reliable, trustworthy information sources will ensure that our population can continue to grow with healthy choices fueled by informed decisions.

The poster I created is a vision of what I hope the rural library of the future could aspire to. I would love to see if my supervisor would consider posting it in our head quarters library to see the input from our patrons.