Thing 15

WOW. An opportunity to blog about Library 2.0 and Web 2.0. These are onrushing and we need to get with the program to become and remain a technologically viable resource. The literature is all about being more user centric and offering our services in ways that 21st century technology users will respond to. This is not to say that we will immediately cease more traditional services but if we don't make contact with some segments of the population we may have a hard time reclaiming their interest.

While I see responding to technological changes as a good thing I also feel there is a down side and that is the resistance, reluctance, whatever, of some who see this as too much, too fast and too confusing. I agree there is a lot to consume, that one may never get it all, but I think we have to try to get much of it. We should at least know the vocabulary and have some idea of what is happening.

This whole 23 things project has been a wonderful source of learning for me and I think it will be for others as well. I hope YPL adopts this program and encourages all staff to participate. I think it is especially important for everyone from administration on down the hierarchy to participate and experience the same joys and frustrations of becoming familiar things technological.

One component of this assignment was to read several pieces about Library 2.0 and react. The thing I saw that made me most anxious about how well we can deal with Library 2.0 here is Michael Stephens assertion, in Into a new world of librarianship, that "Librarian 2.0 makes good, yet fast decisions This librarian recognizes how quickly the world and library users change with advancing technology. Project timelines that stretch on for months simply do not work in Library 2.0 thinking. Perpetual beta works well for the library’s Web presence."

There are already libraries implementing services and projects based on this new stuff (some of which is actually not so new) we need to get going...