The reinvention of public libraries

[Commentary] With funding cuts and falling user numbers, we all know that public libraries need to reinvent themselves if they are to remain relevant. This isn't a new issue. It's certainly true that libraries need to embrace digital resources, although I'm not sure many libraries will be undergoing such a total overhaul as the Denver library that offers kids game rooms, has scrapped overdue fines and - perhaps the hardest for traditional librarians to swallow - has also scrapped the Dewey Decimal System. Former ALA head Michael Gorman is quoted as saying, "The argument that all these young people would turn up to play video games and think, 'Oh by the way, I must borrow that book by Dostoyevsky' - it seems ludicrous to me."