The Library and the City: Evolving Concepts

Both the modem city and the modern library were born of technology and are evolving rapidly by taking advantage of and responding to technological developments. The library has a special place in the city and a symbiotic relationship with it. This paper explores some dimensions of that relationship and its implications for libraries as they embrace digital opportunities. In his book Invisible Cities (Calvino, 1979), the great Cuban born Italian writer, Italo Calvino wrote of the Venetian adventurer Marco Polo returning from his travels to tell Kublai Khan of the cities he had visited. He speaks of the form of cities, of trading cities, of hidden cities, of cities and memory. The Khan does not necessarily believe everything he says but listens greedily, enthralled and inspired as his imagination and empire expand. The cities represent historical examples and imaginary possibilities. They illustrate the power that the ideas of cities have had from antiquity to the present as they have provided a place for business and interaction while offering more, the stimulating scent of opportunity and excitement.