Sunday, December 2, 2007

library land take 2.0... (thing #15)

Having read the OCLC article and the Library Journal article I came away with a couple of points common to both analyses...

1. user participation in the library services model - this seems to be a critical part of the Web/Library 2.0 scheme. Following the lead of sites like Wikipedia, Amazon, and the blogoshpere in general - libraries should be encouraging user participation in the creation, maintenance, and delivery of content. What type of content should libraries be focusing on? Well, things like book reviews, programming requests and suggestions, book discussions, online reference, remote access to library tools and databases, etc... and integrating these new features into current library interfaces (for example - having user reviews of books available in search results for titles being searched for in the libraries OPAC.

2. user oriented services - know your customers, basically. Streamlining the delivery of services to users is another key component of library 2.0. As libraries move away from the model of "storehouses for books" to a one which serves a community of technologically savvy information seekers - our idea of what a library IS needs to change in order to remain relevant. This includes collection development policies (only stocking what sells) providing critical services to diverse populations (the marriage of demographics and programming) and developing an open system which seeks out and responds to feedback.

There were many other points outlined in the articles - but in the interest of time and space - I'll leave off at these two - which struck me as being the most important...

again - user participation, and active, meaningful engagement with the patrons of the library system will become increasingly urgent as Library land enters the 21st century. Addressing these issues through technological and other means will mean the difference between success and failure for the profession. And failure is not an option :P

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