Thing #15 - Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

I took time to read all of the articles, blogs, etc. listed in this activity and it was a bit of an overload, not because of how many items I read, but because of all the implications and view points that were presented.

When I read, "But if our services can't be used without training, then it's the services that need to be fixed - not our patrons." from Rick Anderson in 'Away from the "icebergs"', I found myself a bit split in my thoughts. I agree that library services have to be easy for patrons to use, but this makes it sound like everything should be DIY with no one ever needing to ask a question or get help. I don't think that is the way a library should ever be, now or in the future.

I felt much better after reading "To a temporary place in time" from Dr. Wendy Schultz. I felt that my way of thinking meshed a lot better with her perspective, "...people will prefer personal introductions - they will want a VR info coach." This sounds more like it and doesn't give the impression of abandoning library patrons to find their own way through all of the new tools and information that they want to access.

I think, overall, that Library 2.0 means change and a new way of thinking for a lot of people, not just librarians and teachers. If we are to succeed in meeting the needs of our students we must have greater more judicious support from those in power. Wireless that only works if I stand 6 inches in front of and to the left of my desk of Tuesdays and Thursdays, two student classroom computers, once a week computer lab trips, COWs that have to be disassembled and locked up at the end of each day, etc. isn't going to get it. We need individual or paired laptops for the classroom, interactive white boards for all classrooms/libraries, and flexible scheduling for use of the library. I feel that my school is lucky because we have a flexible schedule for the library which allows for more usage, lessons from our librarian, and access to more computers. However, I know many schools don't even have that, while other schools have much more than that.

Ok, off my soapbox. I guess it all comes back down to "change"...and many more dollars. :^)