Week 2

  a. What are the top 3 2.0 issues affecting libraries? Why?

  b.  Describe an article you read and if you agree or disagree with the author and why.

  c.  Do you think it is important for libraries to be using 2.0 tools? Why or why not?

  d.  How has social software had an impact on your life and work?

a. One of the most important issues to consider when thinking about libraries in the time of web 2.0 is who is creating and keeping information. The library used to be where information was stored and accessed. The people creating the information were published authors. Now, anyone can be the creator of information. Blogs, wiki's and many other sites give people the opportunity to express themselves. This can be an issue for the libraries because they no longer have control of what information people have access to. 

The role of the librarian has changed drastically in the last decade or so. The librarian used to be the all knowing keeper of the books. Now, they are facilitators. The librarian in with world of web 2.0 needs to be aware of information available on the web and be able to navigate it. The problem with this is the web is constantly changing and sometimes something that is not credible looks like it is. The librarian needs to be able to help people discern which sources are credible. 

E-books have affected libraries greatly. There are many ways to access these books and libraries have had to become one of those sources. The challenge is in who owns these ebooks, what company to use in accessing them, and copyright laws. People are now downloading books like they do music. They are sharing on websites and the library is not a primary source. They need to utilize web 2.0 to advertise their services. This could make the library the center of information again. 

b.   I read the article Librarian:2.0 It's all in the Attitude! by Helen Partridge. It is an interesting article about what it takes to become a librarian in today's society. The 81 participants were pulled from various libraries in Australia and formed focus groups to gather information. In the 14 meetings, the focus groups were asked many open ended questions about the current and anticipated skills librarians need today.

The researchers listened to the audio of the focus group sessions and tried to pick out common themes through the discussions. The researchers discovered that librarians at all levels need to be interested and engaged in life long learning. A librarian's learning never ends if they want to stay current with information. Being able to research efficiently and effectively was seen as a necessary skill. Communication and collaboration were found to be very important to librarians because it is the way to spread ideas and grow. Focusing on the user and being business savvy are also traits the focus groups saw were in good librarians. 

I do agree with Partridge on these points. All of these things are essential to being a librarian in today's society. I do not think this list is exhaustive by any means but it is a good jumping off point for anyone considering the profession. 

c. I do think it is important for libraries to be using web 2.0 tools. People of today's society are immersed in web 2.0. People of all ages are starting Facebook accounts, blogging, and using Twitter on a daily basis. More and more people are using smart phones for their daily tasks. Libraries that create an application or make their sites easily accessed through a mobile device will reach more of the population. In order to stay vital in the community, the library needs to stay up to date with the latest information technology out there. 

d. My life has been altered by social media because it is everywhere. I am going to school online, I can keep in touch with my family across the country and I can easily look for jobs around the world. I have made connections with people I never thought I would see again because of social media. My work has changed as well. I have created a blog for my students to use and they are creating websites to show their research. I am able to create wiki's with colleges and collaborate with more people on a daily basis.