Recognizing the changes occurring in the Mid-Hudson region, the Mid-Hudson Library System made use of project funds to assist member libraries in developing effective service responses to projected trends. Building off the strategies and thinking of Sandra Nelson’s The New Planning for Results, this program evaluated the present condition, gathered community input and projections to create an accurate vision, and developed specialized planning tools to empower library directors and trustees in analyzing their services with relation to future needs. Thirty seven regional community meetings were attended to collect this information. Essentially, this project created a macro planning system for libraries that considered long-term regional changes and identified how libraries might modify or enhance services to meet the new demands of their communities. Specific outcomes of this program included:

• Future Trends –  a listing of things likely to impact libraries in the future.
  • Libraries from Now On: Imagining the Future of Libraries [American Library Association]
  • Future of Libraries [Library Journal]
  • Future of the Library and Information Science Profession [Australian Library and Information Association]
  • Pew Internet & American Life Project
    • The Future of Libraries
    • Library Services in the Digital Age
  • Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide? [IFLA Trend Report]
  • The Future of Libraries by Thomas Frey
• Across the Valley: Changes & Trends –  a long-range community analysis outlining changes across the region and their possible implications.
• Tools for Transition: Suggestions & Strategies for Libraries – A listing of potential actions libraries can take in response to changes identified in the Across the Valley report. Libraries can tailor toolkit resources to their own locale.

2022: The Shape of Library Services was funded in part by Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds in program year 2002-3 awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, and in part by the Mid-Hudson Library System.