Library 2.0

I don't like it when numbers are assigned to ideas. But I guess for this post I'll have to deal with that since the topic is Library 2.0.

I am very interested and even personally invested in the future of libraries as we know them presently. From my first Volunteen experience with the Southeast Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library to spending all of my lunches working in the Pickerington High School Library, to working at two of the libraries on the colleges I attended, to my present job at the Reynoldsburg Branch of CML, I have watched libraries change and expand. I love libraries. I am still trying to finish my bachelor's degree, but once I complete that I hope to start working towards an MLIS degree with Kent. I have a lot of my work experience and my my future hopes invested in libraries. It's important for me to keep on top of the changes that many libraries are going through to be prepared for whatever the libraries of the future will look like.

lauren 5.60135

Yeah. Something like that.

This exercise has us looking at several "Perspectives" on Library 2.0 on a few different websites. I really enjoyed what I read- a lot of it being already familiar to me. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to attend an audio conference at the Main Library on Scenario Planning: Learning to Think in the Future Tense. A lot of the things listed in these sites were touched on there.

In his article "Away from the 'icebergs'" Rick Anderson talks about the changing notions of what a library collection consists of, as well as the "you come to us" mentality in dealing with library users. I think the Columbus Metropolitan Library has stayed very hip to those ideas- especially with our experimentational mailing out of Interlibrary Loans. As far as using the internet and computer technology in the library- I'm all for it. However quaint Microfish may be, a PDF document is probably a lot more efficent. Technology is not a bad thing. I truly believe that the library of the future will be better off for it- even if I might miss the silence and the due date stamping of a mere decades ago just the tiniest bit.

One of the other articles I looked at was John Riemer's "To better bibliographic services." In his perspective John talks about utilizing WorldCat technologies, RSS feeds, and different catalogs to broaden the library's services. He talks about including relevancy ratings and using more web features like "tagging" on a regular basis. He also hits on the library comes to you services.

While I might not like that we have to call it "Library 2.0" I am still very interested in keeping up with the ideas and changes that are flowing through not only CML, but libraries all over the world. It can be a bit scary to see things change- but it is exciting too!