Before we began this project, I'm not sure I had even heard of "Web 2.0," but now, I seem to see/hear it just about everywherhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gife. It is a concept that is moving as quickly as the Internet itself. To me, Web 2.0 is a definition of all those wonderful, expressive, interactive web tools I have just recently found and have yet to find and explore. Most of them create a community of users that can communicate, share and interact with each other via the Web, no matter where they are physically.
As information continues to change, libraries (public and school) must move away from the idea that people need to be in the library to get any use of it. Teachers can move into the computer labs and students can access information from home Internet service in order to complete research tasks. Our jobs, as librarians, are changing from a "hands-on" guide to the shelves, to a "online" guide to the world.
We must teach our students to be responsible with the information they use and share. We must also find a way to make library technology user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Rick Anderson's idea of user education is right-on. We cannot expect to be able to reach every person that walks into our library or accesses our site from the web. We have to hope they will be able to navigate on their own for the most part.
To be honest, that has always been our problem....not having enough librarians for the number of people who come through the door. Or in many cases, having patrons who won't ask for help. Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 can break down some of those barriers and allow open access for everyone.
1 comment:
Thanks for your insightful comments. I think you're right in saying that the library is a place and an online destination.
Post a Comment