#15, Library 2.0

I'd seen that cool video early on, linking to it from the Harford County Public Library blogspot. That video merges technology with art in a kinda wistful way.

Again, web 2.0 was a frequent discussion topic in my grad class. I came away from the class readings and discussions with the same attitude expressed in Thing 15's reading.

Web 2.0/Library 2.0 is here, however briefly! Younger patrons take it for granted. If libraries are going to stay relevant to them, librarians have to be up to speed on the technology too - and prepared to keep keeping up as the technology morphs and changes and takes off in user driven directions.

It's important, though, to balance the technology with old fashioned customer service skills. Provide the technology more and more patrons are using, but also be ready to serve the patron who doesn't like/understand technology - as well as the patron who needs adaptive technology to access information. Rick Anderson writes in "Away from the Icebergs":

"We need to focus our efforts not on teaching research skills but on eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need, so they can spend as little time as possible wrestling with lousy search interfaces and as much time as possible actually reading and learning."

The key phrase is "eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need". Sometimes the barrier to be removed is inefficient technology, sometimes it's inaccessible technology, but sometimes it's too much technology. Balancing the old and the new is key to removing barriers.