#future libraries

She was walking down the forest path with a roll of white cloth in her hands. It was trailing behind her like a long veil.

It was sweeping needles, leaves and soil lumps, drawing a pattern on the sandy pathway. The whiteness of the cloth contrasted with her black attire and the dark thick forest. As the path went up and down, the crowd following the woman at a distance would lose sight of her, only to see her again in a short while, like a white signpost.

Once the procession reached the clearing surrounded by old trees, the woman in black kneeled down in the centre. She began to wrap something with the cloth, already quite tatty after the walk. Her face was tense and her hands were shaking as she tried to tie up the bundle with a string. Eventually, she brought her emotions under control, tightened the knot, and held the bundle to her breast. The onlookers formed a circle around her, maintaining, however, a respectful distance. They didn't want to disturb this intimate moment: a moment of farewell.

The people who gathered there to view the ceremony sat on the moss and May-dewed grass. They walked carefully, making sure not to trample on dozen-centimetre-tall spruce trees with red ribbons tied around their tops. One could already see this year's bright green growths on the saplings.

From the website:

This review looked at the role of libraries in our communities and how services are delivered across Wales.

We carried out a review in 2014 to look at local authorities’ current and future plans to deliver public library services in Wales. The aim was to identify sustainable future models that maximised the benefits of collaboration and innovation.

The review also asked for responses to the following questions:

What services should public libraries provide in the future to meet the changing needs of the people of Wales?

What should be the roles and functions of the public library workforce in the future?

How can libraries in Wales work together in the future to offer an efficient and effective library service on a local, regional and national basis?