Exercise 15

Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

Wikipedia defines Library 2.0 "as a term coined in 2005, is the library's response to the challenge of Google, and an attempt to meet the changing needs and wants of the users, using web 2.0 technology. Some of the aspects of Library 2.0 include, commenting, tagging, bookmarking, discussions, using social software, plug-ins, and widgets. Inspired by web 2.0, it is an attempt to make the library a more user driven institution."

Sometimes I feel that I should have been born 50 years ago when the librarian knew every book in the library, knew everyone that came in and she/he knew your likes and dislikes and could satisfy your need to find a great book to read. It was a true community library where if your needed any information, it could be acquired. By information, I am mainly talking about knowledge of local history and people, buildings and important geographic sites.

Walking into the library when I was young, was being greeted by a librarian with her fingers to her lips, such as, Nancy Pearl's action figurine which I was given for Christmas last year! When I took my twins to a library many years ago, there was one library officer who scared both the girls and myself, as she just looked at us and made us feel like we were making too much noise. Now, we welcome the young children, toddlers and babies. We encourage the young mothers to attend storytimes and free school holiday and after-school activities.

However, I have found in the last 16 years, that the school children are no longer coming into the library for information. Most families have broadband internet access in their homes, and many have a PC in their bedrooms. If they need information, they are able to use our library websites, google and many other searching tools. These school children keep up with the "latest trends in technology" so much faster than I am able to. Our management tries to keep their staff up-to-date with some of the technology, but it is absolutely impossible for every staff member to know and be interested in these new forms of information. I would love to, but it is impossible for me to unless I spent at least 30 hours a week or more looking and "playing" with these new resources.

What will it be like in 10 year time or 20 years time in a library? Will there be any printed books? Do we need them? Or do we just use the internet, ipods, mp3s and e-books.

What about people who are slightly older than me! They have difficulties now when we change our book stock for one shelf to another. We are trying the idea of genres in our non-fiction area and it is very interesting to see the reaction of some of our borrowers. Sometimes, I feel management are trying to compete with large bookshops, such as Boarders, but we are not a retail shop. But how do we encourage people to use our libraries. We need the staff to embrace these new technologies and be able to have the time to show people how to use them.

For me, how could I cuddle up in bed with a mp3! When you finally become tired, your eyes slowly close and the book thuds down on your face to remind you to place your old wrinkled bookmark in place and you slowly close that old friend of yours for another day. I might just have to dream about the "good old days"