A library is a service (and our future depends on it)

Despite their public image, libraries have always been based more on the services provided than on the collection, which is only a tool for the service. Therefore, library services should be the basis for libraries' development and survival. The design of those services must be based on the needs of their users, who are the reason why libraries exist. As a matter of fact, the entire library should be addressed to the users, offering services that cover the needs of the broadest possible target population. Technologies that have brought about disruptive change in the model of the library can be also helpful to this purpose.