“SDCC ’26: Why futurist Daniel Rasmus is talking to librarians at Comic-Con” now up at The Beat

“SDCC ’26: Why futurist Daniel Rasmus is talking to librarians at Comic-Con” now up at The Beat

Futurist and Serious Insights founder Daniel W. Rasmus was recently featured in The Beat for his appearance at San Diego Comic-Con’s Conference for Educators & Librarians. In “Why Futurist Daniel Rasmus Is Talking to Librarians at Comic-Con,” journalist Nancy Powell explores how Rasmus adapted his scenario-planning framework to help librarians imagine four possible futures for public libraries in an AI-saturated 2036. The article highlights his call for libraries, educators, publishers, and communities to confront urgent questions about digital ownership, licensing, preservation, censorship, artificial intelligence, and equitable access to knowledge.

Key Takeways from Dan’s talk.

• Embracing Scenario Planning Over Prediction: Panelist and University of Washington professor Dan Rasmus emphasized that predicting a single future is a “futurist dilemma,” advocating instead for scenario planning using the STEEP framework (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political) to help libraries navigate uncertainty and build early-warning adaptation systems.
• Navigating Four Futures for 2036: The session outlined four potential library scenarios shaped by automation and power distribution: The Metered Commons (gated access and corporate AI platforms), The Cooperative Commons (community-governed, participatory tech spaces), The Uncommons (high-friction automated landscapes), and The Stable Commons (public-private stability and long-horizon learning).
• Championing Digital Rights & AI Preparedness: Stressing that generative AI will “humble regulators” due to its unpredictable nature, Rasmus highlighted the urgent need for libraries to advocate for digital content access rights through initiatives like Our Future Memory to ensure equitable information access for all communities.
• Librarians as “Social Shock Absorbers”: As government and public services rely heavily on rigid, opaque automated systems that “explain little and forgive less,” librarians will increasingly serve as vital human translators, helping patrons navigate complex AI decisions, identity verifications, and digital bureaucratic barriers.
• Redefining the Library’s Core Purpose: As digital storage shrinks physical limits—demonstrated by a 1-terabyte microSD card holding 1.5 million book pages compared to the 750 books an average person reads in a lifetime—libraries must pivot from mere book repositories to essential community, civic, and digital support hubs.

🔗 Read the full article: The Beat.

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