I just got back from the 2009 CIL conference where the focus of virtually all of the sessions I attended was on Library 2.0. Using technologies in new ways to connect with our patrons. And while the information was thought provoking, I felt that I left without anything that was really useful to me.
I kept on hearing about how we have all these great new technologies and all that they all us to do. What we have now is the ability to share information (although not all good information) very quickly and almost anywhere that we are. This is all wonderful, but I couldn’t help but think of Leo McGarry’s lament in West Wing “Where’s my jet pack, my colonies on the moon?”
It appears that the current environment is all about sharing (Web 2.0 tools and creative commons were key messages throughout the conference). Take a look at this image presented by Helene Blowers in a presentation that she gave on “strategies for digital natives”
For libraries sharing and collaboration are nothing new. It is the basis for all that we do. We’ve been sharing our collections, our knowledge, and our services for ages. It’s all just being delivered in new formats. When it comes to Library 2.0, I feel that what we are really talking about is marketing and using the new tools to stay current, generate traffic, and get people to use our services.
Unfortunately, for someone that works in a small special library, the applications available are limited in their ability to really add to the services and increase our reach.
I was glad to see that the suggested readings from the course (listed below) offered a balanced view of Library 2.0.
Suggested resources on Library 2.0:
- OCLC Next Space Newsletter – Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?
- 2009 Horizon Report[pdf] – This annual report identifies six emerging technologies which will have a significant impact on teaching and learning and will be adopted over the next 1-5 years.
- We Asked for 2.0 Libraries and We Got 2.0 Librarians
