From Obamacare to getting kids reading, libraries have a bigger part to play in local communities than ever before

As a librarian, it'll probably be no surprise that I like to do my homework. I've followed conversations about the future of UK public libraries with a mixture of interest and dismay.

Developing public libraries as community hubs and problem-solving partners is a top priority at the American Library Association (ALA), so the incredible work of my UK colleagues and the Arts Council is of great interest to us. Recent South by Southwest and ALA conferences show that US public libraries are evolving in this role as well.

We must fundamentally change how we view libraries and move from a historical idea of libraries as merely physical repositories to seeing them as an opportunity for proactive community engagement.

One example of this is Princeton Public Library in New Jersey, which has become the home of more than 2,000 Tech Meetup members. Entrepreneur Venu Moola and librarian Janie Hermann have shared here how the library is successfully connecting the most techie of entrepreneurs in dozens of networking events, supporting research and development and enabling greater levels of co-working. Moola demonstrates that public libraries can be powerful players in supporting the start-up economy, as the Enterprising Libraries initiative also recognises.

ALA believes that libraries can be community problem-solvers, helping us to fully use our spaces, our people, and our technology resources. Or, to put it another way: "What can't librarians do?"

As Americans have begun to research and register for new health insurance options enabled by ObamaCare, they are turning to their libraries for internet connections and help navigating the necessary online information and forms. Similarly, libraries quickly stepped up during the recession to help employment offices assisting those seeking work or looking for new skills for the digital economy.

Libraries also have a vital role to play in education and learning, starting with helping every child ready to read and succeed in school. Adults tell us that their top priority for libraries is that they should co-ordinate closely with schools and support early literacy for young children. In Howard County, Maryland, the library's science, technology, engineering and maths learning lab has seen more than 2,000 students participating in classes such as robotics, mobile games, and nanotechnology.

A new report on the future of libraries and teens puts it this way: libraries used to be grocery stores; now we need to be kitchens and our libraries are adding new ingredients to best serve readers.

Over the past three years, the ALA has supported and worked with publishers to ensure all people have access to books in all their forms through libraries. We've rejected the absurd idea that readers should be forced to physically visit a library to download digital content.

Today, all major publishers provide some kind of US library lending of ebooks. Last year, six libraries topped 1m in ebook circulations each. This is progress, but still short of the pricing and terms that best serve libraries and readers. Unfortunately, our UK colleagues still lack access to a huge number of popular ebooks, and no one – including publishers – wins under these circumstances. People who borrow also buy, but people who don't read do neither.

We must look to the larger ecosystem that includes authors, publishers, distributors, readers and bookstores to find answers. There is an immediate problem around ebook licences, but the issues are more profound than that. All of our roles in this ecosystem are in flux, from self-publishing to bookstore lending, and reading is on the decline. This disruption demands innovative responses and collaborations.

The technology revolution has created more interdependency and blurred lines around old roles. There is a pressing need for us to reach out, network and figure out where libraries can best contribute. We should expect more – not less – from our libraries in the digital age, as technologies both expand and limit who has access to information. But this won't happen in isolation, and it won't happen without keeping libraries open, staffed and connected to our community partners.

Larra Clark is director of the American Library Association's project to develop US libraries for the 21st century

Not already a member? Join us now for more comment, analysis and the latest job opportunities in local government.