Thing 15

I read all five of the different pespectives on the Library 2.0 assignment. When I read them, they mostly all seemed to agree with each other, actually.

Into a New World of Librarianship seemed to point out the ideal Librarian 2.0--really what I think all of us as librarians strive to be now and hope to become in the future. Trying to offer the best of ourselves to the library profession. Answering all questions with the best resources, print or tech related. Teamwork beyond your library system, worldwide teamwork. Trying to keep up with information and new resources—again print & tech.

To More Powerful Ways to Cooperate seemed to move the previous perspective from that of the librarian to that of the entire organization/library. OCLC as an organization is implementing all the ideals the New World of Librarianship seemed to talk about--just look at OCLC's Worldcat. OCLC’s Web 2.0 is Librarian 2.0.

To Better Bibliographic Services talked of using metadata with Web 2.0 and Libraries, expanding beyond the traditional library building or system to include other library systems, even bookstores. Greater cooperation among all such entities. Allowing contributions from all users—staff and patrons, not limiting to just the cataloging professionals. Points out OCLC’s Worldcat as just one example that is working on doing this.

To a Temporary Place in Time is an essay showing what the library is today and what it will be. I like the look of the future library.

The only perspective I didn't completely agree with was the first perspective: Away from Icebergs. The author seemed to go very radically to pro-tech/all-tech. When I read it, it seemed to say that libraries should do away with all print resources. Maybe that's not what he meant, but that was how I read it. I can't see the library surviving on tech only--what do you do in a power outage or server crash? or when all the computers are in use and more people arrive looking for answers? or the people arrive who, no matter how easy you make something, will NOT touch a computer? I just felt you still need to balance Tech with Print, and the other perspectives seemed to agree on this.

Library 2.0 for me means integreting more technology into the library. Networking with everyone from library professional to the person on the street. Doing our best to incorporate all that—technology and networking—into an enviroment that is user friendly and relevant to all needs. It really means doing my best to keep up with learning about and using the new web-based technologies/programs/applications as they come into being. It means my future as a librarian.