#15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0

I read through all the five perspectives on Library 2.0 that were listed, but the best articles I found were from the references listed at the bottom of the Wikipedia entry (though some of these references were a couple of years old).

One link was to an interesting blog of John Blyberg http://www.blyberg.net/2006/01/09/11-reasons-why-library-20-exists-and-matters/ with a posting entitled - 11 reasons why Library 2.0 exists and matters. He talks about Library 2.0 being partially a response to a Post-Google world. Google's impact on the way we do business has already created profound changes in usage patterns in libraries. He argues that Library 2.0 is revolutionary, is essential for survival, is an ever-changing amalgam of ideas, dreams and visions, and is happening - and requires great changes in libraries.

Another link was to a podcast of a seminar talk in 2006 available on the SirsiDynix Institute site - Creating a 2.0 Library by Thad Hartman & David King from Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in the U.S. http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=93
They talked about libraries needing to be with the times, not behind; about the library as a human, changing organism; about the great books and other materials that we have that we need to let people know about; about creating a digital branch with all sorts of ideas about providing the best of library functions in a digital space, connected as well to a physical library. They gave examples of using blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Flickr, RSS etc (linking catalogue information, ILL access, ebooks, digital subject guides, author broadcasts, event attendance on-line, events connected digitally to relevant books/authors, digital events, email reference services, patron participation).

They also talked about creating a Travel Neighbourhood (genre collection) in their library, which brought together all the travel related materials (mostly books in 910's in dewey, foreign language phrase books, books on hotels, restaurants, travelling with children, travel magazines/DVD's). The also then created a Travel Subject Guide on the library website's blog and included postings on travel books, events, finding articles on travel, planning a holiday, local attractions. This was especially of interest as we have recently re-arranged the non-fiction collection in our branch into genres (all into genres, not just one genre).

I was inspired to go to the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Libray website to check them out.
http://www.tscpl.org/.

I also looked at an article in the SirsiDynix montly e-newsletter by Stephen Abram (Vice President of Innovation at SirsiDynix) - Can This 2.0 Stuff Help Libraries with Promotion?.
http://www.imakenews.com/sirsi/e_article000862006.cfm?x=bb1LCGK,b5PTDpv0.
This article is also posted on Stephen Abram's good blog Stephen's Lighthouse http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/
He described a great many ways of using Library 2.0 technology to promote libraries - using YouTube, Second Life, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Podcasts, Wikipedia, Ning, Twitter, Mozes, NowPublic, Blogging and RSS, SearchEngine Optimization, eSurveys.

The video from YouTube that was linked to the Library 2.0 training - "Web 2.0 - The Machine is Us/ing Us " was excellent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

It really does seem that libraries have changed for ever. We don't want to leave behind the patrons who are not computer literate, or throw away the great things that we do, but we do need to get people back into libraries by making libraries relevant to what they want and need in their daily lives. Many, many people today use blogs, eBay, Amazon, Flickr, Facebook etc and expect the library to be similar. We need to be visible in these places so that the library is, as Sarah Houghton said in another article, a destination and not an afterthought. http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/.

I am really glad to be doing this training - it has opened up a whole new world of Web 2.0 technology to me that I knew very little about before. There are a great many articles, blogs, and discussions on Library 2.0 that I wish to come back and look at later.