Wednesday

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

Library 2.0 is term used to describe a new set of concepts for developing and delivering Library services. The name, as you may guess, is an extension of Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts including:
  • harnessing the user in both design and implementation of services,
  • embracing constant change as a development cycle over the traditional notion of upgrades,
  • and reworking Library services to meet the users in their space, as opposed to ours (Libraries).

Many have argued that the notion of Library 2.0 is more than just a term used to describe concepts that merely revolve around the use of technology; it also a term that can be used to describe both physical and mindset changes that are occurring within Libraries to make our spaces and services more user-friendly and inviting.

Others within the profession have asserted that Libraries have always been 2.0: collaborative, customer friendly, and welcoming.

But no matter which side of the debate proponents fall, both sides agree that Libraries of tomorrow, even five or ten years from now, will look substantially different from Libraries today.

Watch this video and consider what these students would say about the Library of the future:
A Vision of Students Today is available on TeacherTube if this embedded copy does not show.



If you have trouble viewing the video, here is another link to it (along with explanation by the creator.)

Discovery Exercise:

  1. Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 from the list below.
  2. Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these. Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for school libraries?

Discovery Resources:

OCLC Next Space Newsletter – Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?

Five Perspectives:
Away from Icebergs
Into a new world of librarianship
To more powerful ways to cooperate
To better bibliographic services
To a temporary place in time


Wikipedia – Library 2.0
Library 2.0 Discussions (list of great references from Wikipedia)

Any posts by David Warlick (a disruptive thinker) at 2 Cents Worth


We hope you're enjoying all the exercises you've done so far. Keep having fun exploring and thinking about Web 2.0/Library 2.0/School Library 2.0. Have you commented on another blog or two?

6 comments:

lpickup said...

This was an interesting reading assignment. I love books and libraries so it is hard to picture my libraries changing. Paradigm shift time. I also am thinking in terms of classrooms. We, teachers, have to change to. The video was thought provoking. thank you.

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HOGARZA said...

Really like all the assignments, I'm actually learning something that I like.

HOGARZA said...
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J. Lennox said...

I was very moved by this video because I could definitely relate to some of the students in my own college experience beginning 8 years ago. As an educator of students that have been completely immersed in the social networking and wikipedia culture, I have some serious thinking to do on how to educate the Web 2.0 learner.

firefly sb said...

The discovery activities for this thing really gave me a lot of food for thought. I may eventually get a Kendall or some other electronic reader, but I know I will always have books. Reading the newspaper is one of my favorite daily activities. I wonder how much longer I'll be able to do it. I have seen the effect of Web 2.0 on the one local newspaper. Over the last two years, it has physically shrunk to about half it original size.