Thing #16: Library 2.0

"'God!" Monti cried, 'God! Do you not know that what God really wants to create is my Don Giovanni, and the Odysseus of Homer, and Cervantes's knight? Very likely those are the only people for whom heaven and hell have ever been made, for you cannot imagine that an Almighty God would go on forever and ever, world without end, with my mother-in-law and the Emperor of Austria? Humanity, the men and women of this earth, are only the plaster of God, and we, the artists, are his tools, and when the statue is finished in marble or bronze, he breaks us all up. When you die you will probably go out like a candle, with nothing left, but in the mansions of eternity will walk Orlando, the Misanthrope and my Donna Elvira..."

Well, this exercise steps slightly into the realm of the philosophical.

Rick Anderson, although seeming a bit panicked, makes some valid points about how libraries must change. It is more practical now for libraries to share print collections (like CDL), rather than have every library buy every monograph and serial. Libraries must also focus on teaching patrons how to use the various resources available online. I know that Reference is already heavily involved in teaching and classroom support, and the need for this will only grow.

Michael Stephens sets a very high bar for the 2.0 librarian, who is always "ahead of the curve" in implementing technological solutions for the library. However, since setting up new services always involves re-allocating money and/or staff time, I think libraries have to be careful to investigate which services might actually be used, and used frequently.

Chip Nilges' discussion of the improvements that OCLC is making to WorldCat is exciting, especially the focus on standards that help to make databases easier to search. John Riemer offers even more explicit suggestions to improve bibliographic services, including copying some of Amazon's website features (user reviews, tagging, etc.). I think these are good ideas.

Web 2.0 technology is changing the role of the library, but it only adds to, rather than replaces, the role the library currently plays. Many people will always prefer to come into a building to do research or to pick up something interesting to read, just as many people will prefer to shop in a real store rather than online.