Monday, July 30, 2007

Technorati & Web 2.0

I don't know that I fully understand Technorati, but I will explore it more later. I do have some thoughts on the Web 2.0; in Michael Stephens article he talks about how the librarian needs to cater to the needs of the emerging techno savvy patron, while I agree with this I think that there could be a point that we go to far and alienate the population that "likes us just the way we are.." {homage to Bridget Jones} We need to reach out to the changing demographic using the tools that they use; internet, myspace, friendster, etc. I don't however believe that we need to move away from the community aspect of libraries. The library is the heart of research for individuals and we should be able to access those hard to find items for people and not move entirely away from the "just in case collection" as Rick Anderson states in his piece. Library 2.0 is something that needs to be undertaken with serious thought as to what would most benefit us and not rushed into just b/c someone else is doing it. I believe that Library 2.0 is not just about the technology aspect but also about the welcoming environment of the library and the staff that serve the public. We need to create an environment that one the one hand retains the traditional library atmosphere while on the other hand creates a new space that will appeal to a wider audience.

1 comment:

Deb B ANN said...

Amy, I think your comments are right on - we cannot abandon our long term patrons in the race of keeping up. Well put!


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