Blog your thoughts about Library 2.0, Web 2.0 and libraries of the future.
Much of the 'Library 2.0' world seems to be purely an extension of current library services using new tools; new methods of outreach to users, reference question tools, enabling access to collections via new technologies. While much of this does require organisational change within the library, providing staff time & appropriate job descriptions, this again is not new.
Incorporating Web 2.0 into libraries seems to be a much slower process; this is the area where users are not just giving feedback to libraries or access existing collections in new ways - but actually contributing to library collections through Institutional Repositories, Wikis, photo sharing services or adding tags to catalogues.
Web 2.0 does present challenges to libraries in terms of 'Acceptable Use Policies' (AUPs), although these are already often in place for eg. Internet access; perhaps more importantly is the need for scanning & moderation of user input to ensure compliance with AUPs.
How do you plan to incorporate Web 2.0 tools and technologies into your products and services?
Initially by discovering what users are already using & feeding services into that - eg. RSS feeds for new acquisitions, chat facility for ref questions. Then moving slowly moving to eg. Wikis, etc
How do you maintain high quality products and services if anyone can add content to your resources?
2 routes to this; just because anyone can add content does not relieve the responsibility of librarians from their cataloguing, collection development, user guide roles - user tagging is in addition, not a replacement (though very useful for 'see also' entries'. Then there comes the monitoring issue for both AUPs but also to see how user provided content is developing & feeding this into library mainstream where appropriate.
Much of the 'Library 2.0' world seems to be purely an extension of current library services using new tools; new methods of outreach to users, reference question tools, enabling access to collections via new technologies. While much of this does require organisational change within the library, providing staff time & appropriate job descriptions, this again is not new.
Incorporating Web 2.0 into libraries seems to be a much slower process; this is the area where users are not just giving feedback to libraries or access existing collections in new ways - but actually contributing to library collections through Institutional Repositories, Wikis, photo sharing services or adding tags to catalogues.
Web 2.0 does present challenges to libraries in terms of 'Acceptable Use Policies' (AUPs), although these are already often in place for eg. Internet access; perhaps more importantly is the need for scanning & moderation of user input to ensure compliance with AUPs.
How do you plan to incorporate Web 2.0 tools and technologies into your products and services?
Initially by discovering what users are already using & feeding services into that - eg. RSS feeds for new acquisitions, chat facility for ref questions. Then moving slowly moving to eg. Wikis, etc
How do you maintain high quality products and services if anyone can add content to your resources?
2 routes to this; just because anyone can add content does not relieve the responsibility of librarians from their cataloguing, collection development, user guide roles - user tagging is in addition, not a replacement (though very useful for 'see also' entries'. Then there comes the monitoring issue for both AUPs but also to see how user provided content is developing & feeding this into library mainstream where appropriate.
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