Week Six - TAGGING FOLKSONOMIES & TECHNORATI

Thing 15 - Read some perspectives on Web 2.0 Future of Libraries

In reading these snapshots of perspectives, I'm struck by the reoccurring theme that things in Libraryland are moving quickly and libraries need to get on the bus or get left behind.

In Rick Anderson's article Away from Icebergs, I was also struck by his reference to the "just in case collection" that is, building a collection of books with the thought that someone might need them, and that this type of collection needs to be reconsidered.

With the ubiquity of the Internet, and our need for timely and instant information, using a book on say endangered species that was written even five years ago is not going to give the timely information that we are now accustomed to finding at the click of a mouse. It seems that having access to or knowing how to access "good" information is just as if not more important than trying to maintain a collection of books even 10 years current.

This is not to say books are not important, of course they are. Students need to know how to use a print source. What we as information professionals need to do though, is utilize, teach how to utilize and spend time keeping up with different types of technological data. Empowering ourselves and our students with the ability to access good information, both in print and cyberspace, is a large part of what we are entrusted to do.

We must remember though, that in an elementary school library there is still the importance of promoting literature. This cannot be forgotten. Libraries need to serve their users in a broad way, but it is counter intuitive to resist the wave of technological advances. It's a balancing act. As Anderson infers, it is not about getting on board with every new technology that presents itself, but it is about evaluating these technologies in terms of relevancy to one's own library and user base and incorporating them into the library.

As far as what Library 2.0 means to me and school libraries, it is a wave of technology that targets libraries. Web 2.0 technologies are sweeping the country as everyone is getting on board with some many user driven technologies. Library 2.0 is a way of looking at these Web 2.0 technologies in relation to libraries and how they can help to serve the user. What is Library 2.0 to me? It's everything we've been working on in these tutorials. It's coming to a head though - are we geared up and ready for Web (and Library!) 3.0?