Library 2.0: Evolution or Revolution

The article "Library 2.0: revolution or evolution?" by Kwanya, et. al., provides a concise definition of Library 2.0, as well as a helpful summary of both arguments surrounding the evolution/revolution debate. Personally, I really don't think Library 2.0 can be considered a revolution. For many years, librarians have had to adapt to new materials and technologies and have succeeded in doing so. From the card catalog to CD-ROMs to the modern electronic databases, librarians have a reputation for their ability to learn and use new concepts/technologies and teach others how to use them.

The advent of social media does not seem so different from the change that occurred when most libraries switched from the card catalog to the OPAC for searching their collections. The biggest change here is that users now have more of a say in what they want to see in the library and its services. While Library 2.0 will require some effort on the part of the librarians in learning how to effectively navigate and use the new sites and tools, in the end it will primarily help librarians and library staff to better serve their patrons. Librarians have always aimed to identify patrons' needs and serve those needs as much as possible. By providing an easier way for users to express their ideas and needs, social media tools actually help librarians by taking some of the guesswork out of this process.

While I agree that Library 2.0 tools will play a larger role in the workings and services of the library, I don't think that terms like "cybrarian" adequately reflect the current duties of the librarian. Yes, librarians and their patrons rely more on electronic resources than they did in the past. However, I agree with the view that librarians will still need to be familiar with print and other traditional resources for some time to come -- in fact, I'm doubtful that print resources will ever completely disappear. As one example, the academic library where I work has most of its resources online in databases and e-books. However, on a daily basis I still have many students who come to the front desk looking for the core print resources we have on reserve there.

Book Review

Here is the link to my book review of The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick.

http://www.slideshare.net/hlmurraynh/information-book-review

I decided to use SlideShare for this project, which allows you to upload and share PowerPoint presentations. Two other interesting features about the website: users can comment on the presentation, similar to other social network sites, and a transcript appears below the presentation itself.

I had some difficulty with this project, trying to synthesize a 420-page book into a presentation. This may have been primarily due to the fact that the author's tone and approach to the subject matter was different than what I had anticipated.

A Different Kind of Class

My apologies for not being very social lately in terms of posting -- my personal schedule has been a little crazy this month and I haven't done a great job of staying up to date with my social network duties. I plan to get on track over the next several days, however, and will do a better job participating in conversations for the rest of the term.

This post may not be directly related to social networking, but more regarding distance education in general. Over the course of my MLIS studies so far, I have noticed that I tend to take the concept of online learning for granted. It's easy to do, especially when I'm involved in a community of other students who are familiar with Sakai and coworkers who use Blackboard on a daily basis.

While earning my MLIS, I have been fortunate enough to live with my parents in southern NH and do the majority of my coursework online (with some F2F in Durham/Worcester/Kingston) while still effectively learning the information needed for a career in librarianship. My parents are fairly computer savvy,  but I find that I have had to explain to them a couple of times about the concept of online learning -- sometimes they seem to think that because I don't have F2F classes, I don't really have schoolwork. This can take a little extra discipline and patience on my part, especially during the summer months :)

As I mentioned before, I am getting back on track and will stay on top of things for the rest of the term -- but I just wanted to make this observation and wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences with friends or family members.

Gaming webinar June 7

I noticed on the syllabus that one of our weekly topics later this summer will focus on games & libraries, so I thought some of you might be interested in an upcoming free webinar titled "Play, Learn, Innovate. An OCLC/Library Journal online symposium." Here is the description from the event's website (www.oclc.org/innovation).

"We're told that to be successful, we need to innovate, both for ourselves and on behalf of our organizations. But is there a fundamental disconnect between how we use imagination, planning and goal setting in our leisure time and how we get things accomplished at work?
New ways in which play overlaps with learning, media, social interaction, work and creativity provide clues about how "fun" may be the most efficient way to get something serious accomplished.
And fun may be the secret ingredient your innovation efforts are missing."

The webinar takes place on Tuesday, June 7, at 1 pm Eastern time. If interested, you can register at www.oclc.org/innovation.

First Blog Post

Greetings! This is my blog for the Summer 2011 course LSC597: Library 2.0 and Social Networking. I plan on using this space to post responses to assignments, my class learning journal, and any other relevant material I come across that I think may be of interest. Please let me know what you think, and thanks for visiting!