See.. the scenario is changing now, the advances in ICT including mobile technology and availability of high bandwidth is reducing need of physical place for meeting. Video Conferencing and Skype Meetings, Hangounts etc has helped to reduce time taken in transportation to visit physical place. easy availability of such tools has also increased interaction among peers. Same way it is going to affect the physical space requirement of a library. Availability of online tools surely reduces the need of visiting library physically, in contradiction it surely help wider accessibility and availability of library content on the gadgets.

Hi Mardene, Not sure abut just getting smaller they might disappear all together. Keeping physical material, that might otherwise be digital, seems an expensive choice where space might be better used for other purposes. I work in a Virtual Information/Knowledge Library Service. You can find my thoughts about what this means here [ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259074607_Top_ten_guide_to_running_a_virtual_LIS_health_service?ev=prf_pub ] BW Matt

Article Top ten guide to running a virtual LIS health service

Greetings, Mardene and All. I think that libraries may get smaller is terms of brick and mortar space, but from what I have seen in terms of working on a university reference desk, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools and also a specialized library, a welcoming and well-organized physical space which allows researchers and the public to work independently or collaboratively will still exist. I witness and work to facilitate all manner of accessing information--via tablets, smartphones, computers, print materials and concrete archival materials; I also answer questions via phone and electronically. and as a student doing an online course of study, I certainly access information digitally. Still, I do observe that humans are hardwired to seek a community of actual human beings--preferably in a surrounding enhanced by the smell of real coffee! The library is also a place for teaching research classes as part of a formal Information Literacy curriculum or as stand-alone classes requested by professors wishing to teach students how to better integrate research into studies.

In response to Matt's comment about the expense of physical space, I was recently invited to a University Librarian's presentation given to the alumni of a major U.S. academic library. She surprised many in the audience by noting that the life cycle costs of managing digital collections makes up for or outstrips the costs of maintaining books on shelves. Having studied Digital Preservation, this was no surprise to me, but the audience's surprise alerted me to the importance of educating the public about the sustained costs of maintaining digital records. While she certainly made the case for the incredible data mining, unique collaborations, accessibility and multiple other benefits of digital resources, she argued for the need for maintaining a balance between physical and digital collections--and also for the funding necessary to sustain both. As both a Librarian and a Sculptor, I look at this question from the perspective of how to create three dimensional spaces/architectures which support the new mix of materials and the increasingly collaborative and informal patron interactions with data sets, archival materials, journal articles, and myriad forms of information via books, databases and primary materials. Library spaces may become smaller or different, but they will still exist.

I think in terms of library numbers and library space it is getting smaller. I know some government library services had been reduced in Australia for example

With technology and science taking leaps ... it is quite possible that the size of physical space of the library may get reduced... and this is very specifically about the size of the digital objects. The question of libraries getting smaller may still be hypothetical... Let us assume that a library has 200 members and accordingly th size of that library could be imagined. Now think that the library has become so small ... and that all these 200 members still hold individual spaces for their reading and research.... this again could be conceived as a small library space. What would be the size of a library if all the individual spaces of these individuals are clubbed together. Now it would still be difficult whether the libraries are becoming smaller or bigger in space.

One thing is sure ... libraries would continue in their physical spaces .... may be unusually different and unimaginable .... but LIBRARIES WOULD EXIST .... LIBRARIANS WOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE THE READERS.

Print resources will continue to decline as electronic grows. However, library space, now often known as the library or information commons, will be increasingly important. The library or information commons on a traditional campus can and should be the hub of the university. Ideally, this space will contain collaborative spaces with flexible furniture, private study areas, computers and cutting edge technology that the average student won't own but would be glad to be able to access as needed. In addition, librarians and other support staff will be available to help with databases, software, hardware, collaborative projects, etc. 

The concept of Library Space as we visualize it in our 'idea plain', consists of the total of several parts of the Library; like, say, stack Space, Functional space and Readers' space. Among these three, certainly  the "stack space" will decrease with introduction of e-materials. However, the space required to accommodate befitting infrastructure to render services to readers, needs to be increased as and when necessary. 

In many Indian Libraries around 64 sq ft space in the form of  Eight Feet Square was provided to accommodate Four readers. However, as we are gradually shifting to hybrid libraries maintaining both print and e-materials, we need to provide around 9 Sq ft. in the form of Three Feet Square additional space for each reader in the readers' section to accommodate computer terminals, writing space and a chair with small leg space while the former reading spaces decreases by 30% . As such if we are going to maintain both print & e-materials, we may even require larger space at the reading area while the stack area will be certainly decreased proportionately as we acquire e-materials. However, if we maintain an entirely digital Library, (which seems to be a bit too imaginative as on today!) space can be saved saved with substantially new architecture of the Library.

In contravention to the 5th. law of the great Five laws of Library Science of Dr. S.R. Rangathan, the concept of "Library is a Growing Organism" the physical attire of a Library will be different altogether!

Libraries will definitely get smaller as a result of technology advancement. I think technology is bridging the space and time constraints in library settings

The physical płace in library will not be reduced until printed material production will be reduced. There are stil a huge printed production and a lot of titles are only in print. I suppse it will be chaged, but a time of a generation is necessary. After it libraries can function as meeting and work places. I know people, who prefer to work (eg learning, reading and writing) in "neutral" płace like library.