Week 6: #15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

I read several perspectives on Library 2.0. I related best to the "Away from the Icebergs" perspective of Rick Anderson. He asserts that if librarians were a boat, they could be described as "rowing heroically" to serve customers in a changing world. However, he foresees three "icebergs" that threaten progress for librarians.

The first "iceberg" is the very notion of a library collection (ie. the physical books) being built up in a "just in case" philosophy. That is the notion that libraries should collect anything and everything in traditional print "just in case" someone needs it. He asserts that Web 2.0 calls for libraries to consider non-traditional resources such as digital collections of journals, books, blogs and podcasts. This philosophy allows users access to a greater "collection" than just the traditional one.

The second "iceberg" is the reliance on user education. He asserts that many libraries are not equipped to handle user education of the many technical resources available through Web 2.0. The challenge for libraries will be to find and invest in services that allow the patrons to utilize user-centric services that allow more time for reading and learning and less time trying to figure out the services. He suggests Flickr's "Blog This" and Google Page Creator are technologies for the Library 2.0.

The third "iceberg" is the "come to us" model of library service. He asserts that in the past libraries have been the repositories of scholarly materials that could only be accessed physically at the library. With Web 2.0, Library 2.0 recognizes that libraries need to provide services in an "environment" (i.e. the Web) that can be used almost anywhere - the library or home, etc.

I agree with his concerns about the "icebergs". We are in a time when libraries have to account for the use of scarce resources to benefit the largest number of users. Web 2.0 and other technology assists us in expanding our collections by using electronic resources, finding resources that customers are able to use easily and finding ways to serve customers without requiring them to even set foot in the physical library building.