Discovery Exercise #14 - Library 2.0

My understand of Library 2.0 is the integration of Web 2.0 tools into the library environment. In the Wikipedia entry on this subject, Michael Casey (who coined the term Library 2.0) said that Library 2.0 will allow patrons to be active participants in a two-way exchange of information.

My initial reaction to this idea is, "Do patrons truly WANT to be particpants in a two-way dialogue with the library?"

I continued on to read Meredith Farkas's blog entry (http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2008/01/24/the-essence-of-library-20/) and found much that I agreed with here.

First of all, Farkas said one of the most important directives for Library 2.0 is assessment of patron needs. Before assuming our patrons want a certain type of service, we should ask them what they really want.

And, in some of her own research, Farkas discovered what many of us in public libraries already know: patrons just want to be left alone! They want to have access to computers so that they can join social networks, but not necessarily network with their local public library. They want to be able to easily access reference materials, without having to ask too many questions of staff.

The truth is, people want to interact with other people less and less. I don't really have a problem with that, but if this is the future of libraries, we do need to have the tools available for patrons to access information easily, and from any location.

One aspect of Library 2.0 that I do think could be helpful is a "tagged" catalog. I remember reading an article in the New Yorker when the New York Public Library was retiring their "card catalog" for an electronic catalog. The article lamented the fact that all of the years of notes handwritten by librarians on the cards would be lost. Ta da! Tags will allow patrons to find information more easily, in plain language.

I think our county system could invest more in making our website, catalog, and database access more user-friendly, and would serve a larger number of our patrons than Web 2.0 training for staff.

Sorry, I guess I'm just an old-fashioned rodent.