Reports on Libraries, Cloud Computing, and Better Mapping Tools

HEADNOTE

News Break Update

Unless you've been hiding in a cave for the last decade, you are acutely aware that the digital age has impacted nearly all personal and professional aspects of our lives. We find, research, buy, use, and share content of all

kinds in completely new ways. Our libraries have also been affected, and two recent reports have examined these effects. One from consulting firm Outsell, Inc. looks at the library market worldwide. The other is the American Library As- sociation's (ALA) annual report, "The State of America's Libraries," for 2008.

Outsell, Inc. forecasts that libraries worldwide will spend $24.7 billion for content by 2010 (a 3.1% compound annual growth rate), according to its "2008 Library Market Size, Share & Forecast Report." The report - which Outsell says is the first to analyze the global market for all types of libraries, from traditional physical libraries to centralized information centers - has implications for publishers and librarians alike.