Paper short abstract:

The Anthropocene presents a unique challenge around collecting and presenting 'future history' in a rapidly changing world. We explore how libraries and museums can intersect with environmental history, emphasizing the importance of futurist thinking and digital strategies.

Paper long abstract:

Libraries and museums are not just repositories of the past; they are curators of future histories. While the Anthropocene epoch illustrates the unprecedented impact of human activity on the Earth, it also urges us to rethink our approach to collecting, preserving, and interpreting information about our planet. Linda Hall Library and the Valais Nature Museum are making a start on this endeavor, each employing unique and similar strategies to engage the public and scholars in conversations about climate change, human-environment interactions, and our collective future.

A key focus of this paper is the importance of futurist thinking in library and object collections, for instance in the acquisition of monographs that address climate change scenarios, technology's role in environmental solutions, and policy implications. Futurist thinking does not only prepare us for the outcomes but offers different narrative pathways that society could follow.

Digital strategies, including digitization of archives, online exhibitions, and interactive databases, are becoming indispensable tools for preserving 'living' histories. Linda Hall Library, known for its extensive collection of science and technology materials, employs advanced digital archiving methods to provide wide accessibility. The Nature Museum Valais has developed an original collection of the Anthropocene. Both institutions use collaborative exhibitions to tell the story of the region's environmental history.

The findings presented here aim to foster collaborations between librarians, museologists and environmental historians, ensuring that we not only preserve our past but also empower our future.