#15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

I think libraries must embrace these new technologies to reach out to people who use libraries. As Stephen Abram has been advocating in his blog, Steve's Lighthouse, libraries need to be savvy with this technology to enable them to stay relevant to an increasing population of Web 2.0 users. The ability to make the catalogues and web pages interactive with user comments or ratings is a positive step. My fellow work blogger, Pearl Bay has really started to run with this technology. This week she sent an email to all staff incorporating image generator techniques. The visual impact grabs the attention, especially for those new to these technologies, and often creates a greater impression than a text based message. She has also made professional contact with fellow bloggers through her exploration of Web 2.0 technologies like Library Thing, Technorati and RSS feeds. Through these contacts she is developing ways our own library service can incorporate these technologies for the benefit of staff and library users. Being able to experiment with these technologies in this cooperative blogging environment helps to alleviate the fear of the unknown. While perhaps only taking small steps in incorporating Web 2.0 into Library 2.0, it is a start.