Meredith Farkas

Librarian & Tech Geek

Blog: Information Wants to be Free

November 30, 2005

Library 2.0

People can define "Library 2.0" differently, since it really isn't

something that exists yet, but it a place we should strive to get to.

Here is how I see it and what my answer was for an interview where I

was asked the same question:

The idea of Library 2.0 represents a significant paradigm shift in

the way we view library services. It's about a seamless user experience,

where usability, interoperability, and flexibility of library systems

is key. It's about the library being more present in the community

through programming, community building (both online and physical), and

outreach via technology (IM, screencasting, blogs, wikis, etc.). It's about

allowing user participation through writing reviews and tagging in the

catalog and making their voice heard through blogs and wikis. It's

about making the library more transparent through its Web presence and

its physical design. We need to make the library human, ubiquitous,

and user-centered. This involves a change in our systems, our Web

presence, and our very attitudes. It will take a lot of work for a library to be

completely 2.0, but the idea should inform every decision made at the

library.

December 4, 2005

Trends:

Probably the most important trends I see right now involve making our library middleware more usable and using social software to connect with our patrons online. Over the past year or so, I've noticed a large increase in the number of people who are actually "hacking the catalog" to create RSS feeds, to improve patrons' ability to search the catalog, and to add other needed functionality. We even have the PINES Project, where the public libraries in Georgia are building their own ILS. People are starting to see that our library middleware is not usable, and that we need to press vendors to create ILS' that provide seamless access to our collections. In addition, a lot of libraries are using blogs, wikis, podcasting, and Instant Messaging to connect with their patrons online. Libraries are using social software tools in an effort to put a human face on the library, to make the library more transparent, to make themselves more available to their patrons, and to market themselves. It's a smart strategy to meet patrons where so many of them are -- online.

Most important challenges:

I think there are several challenges. There is a growing gulf between libraries where the administrators are change averse and those where administrators embrace change. Libraries that are not making an effort to innovate and are not constantly reevaluating how they serve their patrons run the risk of alienating a large part of their patron-base. Libraries need to start changing to provide the services patrons want (wifi, IM Reference, etc.) and to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population (through programming and collection development). The problem is, many libraries are cash-strapped and under-staffed, and it's nice to talk about technology and innovation, but these libraries are struggling to provide the most basic services to their patrons. What can we do for libraries that don't even have an online catalog yet? Helping rural and underfunded libraries to keep up with other libraries across the country will be a real challenge for the 21st century. Otherwise, we will only see the divide continue to grow.