23 Things -- Library 2.0
After viewing Stephen Abram's video about Murdoch University's 23 things, I totally agree that as librarians we must immerse ourselves in the new technologies to meet the needs of our users and community of learners. As he pointed out, we can only understand a blog by creating one and using it. We are experience-based learners who must set our priorities by taking the time to learn and use these tools.
Professor Michael Wesch's video is a thought-provoking production that addresses how the web has evolved. We have moved from html, describing the content of the text to xml, describing the meaning. Web 2.0/Library 2.0 has freed users of formatting constraints and is linking people who are sharing, trading, and collaborating. It also raises many questions about copyright, authorship, governance, and privacy. Librarians must be comfortable with all aspects of Web 2.0 in order to serve their users and facilitate learning.
The term Library 2.0 means that I must be willing to devote my time and energy to learing and to utilizing all of the technologies such as RSS, blogs, wikis, etc., in order to guide my patrons on their use and facilitate easy access. In setting such as a high school library, it is difficult to achieve these goals. Faced with filtering software, acceptable use policies, and other constraints, students are not always allowed to participate and to learn about these technologies.
Nevertheless, the technologies are being used at home, and I believe eventually will be part of the curriculum. My biggest concern is whether some school librarians will be up to the task. Many librarians, especially elementary-level ones, are faced with fixed schedules and barely have time to breath much less learn and master so many new and changing technologies at the end of an exhausting day. With that said, being part of one of the most unrecognized and under appreciated careers, if we don't accept the challenge, we may find ourselves out of a job. As Stephen Abrams states in his article, "Social Libraries: The Librarian 2.0 Phenomenon," -- "We had better be ready."
As stephen was saying one of the biggest contributing factors is management endorsing time to do the project.
ReplyDeleteHowever and ultimately as you quite rightly point out, the tools are being used outside our environment and not being equipped to deal with patrons who want to interact with us in a a different way will ultimately leave us in the dust as dinosaurs.