Current projections tell us that our lives and communities in 2050 will be vastly different to today, with 8 million people calling Melbourne home. Considering the future, we need to look to how we can create radically welcoming spaces by fostering community, belonging and access for everyone.

So where do libraries fit into all of this? And how will they need to adapt to service a society that hasn’t arrived yet?

In this Open House Melbourne talk, our panel – featuring Toni Burton, State Library Victoria’s Collection Curation and Engagement Manager; Glennys Briggs, visual artist and curator at Burraja Gallery, Albury; Mary Carroll, Associate Professor in the School of Information and Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University; and Ana Tiquia, futurist and founder of cultural and strategic consultancy All Tomorrow’s Futures – will explore how libraries will need to evolve to remain relevant in 2050, with equity, inclusion and accessibility front of mind.