Eric John Abrahamson traveled to Grand Forks, North Dakota this week to speak to a gathering of community leaders hosted by the Grand Forks Community Foundation. In his pro bono role as project director of the Black Hill Knowledge Network, Abrahamson talked about changes taking place in the marketplace for local information and the need for libraries to become community information hubs.
“In the twentieth century, public libraries connected the community to the outside world,” Abrahamson said. “In the digital age, patrons can easily connect to global information streams. But in the age of Google, the hardest information to find is local.” Abrahamson emphasized that, “In the twenty-first century, libraries must turn 180 degrees and work with their own communities to find, organize and database local information generated by local media, local government, and local non-profits so that citizens can remain engaged and informed about local issues.”
