Library Utopias and Dystopias Today and in 2040

Abstract Open access is a key utopian ideal for a large proportion of librarians, but before discussing libraries in 2040, it is important to define the term “library”. For some readers, a complete shift to electronic reading would be a utopia, especially for those with dyslexia and other reading disabilities since electronic reading offers means for compensating. For those whose utopia is the library building itself as a long-term repository for bound paper volumes, the future offers little hope. The prevalence of book banning attempts and of fake news of all sorts is a symptom of a fundamental distrust in information that is the hallmark of the librarian’s dystopia.