Dream Big: The Future of Public Libraries

DREAM BIG
THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES

As a leader on the cutting edge of public library service, the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) aims to be in the forefront of change strategies and leading edge technologies. DREAM BIG will explore the changing environment for libraries and contribute to the CPL’s vision of its future.

The program will consist of presentations and a panel discussion as well as opportunities for comments and questions from the audience. Speakers include:

Maria Taesil Hudson McCauley
Ms. McCauley is the new Director of Libraries, City of Cambridge. She comes to CPL from Santa Monica CA where she served as Director of Libraries. Ms. McCauley has also worked for the Somerville Public Library and the libraries at Northeastern University, Boston. Her research has been published in College & Research Libraries, Library Management and portal. She is an American Library Association elected Councilor.

Sarah Williams Goldhagen

Ms. Goldhagen is the former architectural critic of The New Republic. She has written for The New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education among other prestigious publications. Her current book project explores how people experience built environments, a critical element in envisioning the future of public libraries.

Nicholas Negroponte

Founder of the MIT Media Lab and One Laptop Per Child, Mr. Negroponte’s 2014 TED talk on “A 30-Year History of the Future” resonates in 2016 as he leads us in focusing on the future of libraries in areas such as technology and institutional transformation.

John Palfrey

A noted educator, Mr. Palfrey is Head of Phillips Academy and former executive director of the Berkman Center at Harvard. He also served as the founding chairman of the Digital Public Library of America. Mr. Palfrey authored the well-received book “Born Digital.”

Jeffrey Schnapp

Faculty co-chair of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, Mr. Schnapp co-authored “The Library Beyond the Book” a work that explores future scenarios for libraries in the digital age. He is professor of Romance Languages & Literature at the Graduate School of Design.

This event will be held in the Lecture Hall at the Main Library and is free and open to the public. Please arrive no later than 6:45 PM to claim your seat reservation.

At 6:45 PM – if there is a line of people waiting to enter the auditorium, we will release any seat reservation that has not been claimed.

DREAM BIG is presented by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation. Established in 2015, the Foundation is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that raises private funds from individuals, foundations and corporations to augment the Library's public support. Visit CPLFound.org to learn more.

Special thanks to our sponsors.

Registration Info

RSVP HERE

Cambridge Community Television will tape this event to air at a later date; a copy of the final tape will be posted on our website. If you would like to let us know when that tape is available, please send an email to jennifer@cplfound.org