Monday, November 26, 2007

#15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

As a person who has generally embraced technology and run with it I really like the idea of libraries becoming more user-centric and collaborative as a way of encouraging user participation and engaging the younger "millenial" generation. Witnessing the difficulties in training patrons to use our new technology over the past 20 or so years that we have been automated has shown it to be a frustrating exercise, and it will continue to be with many of our older patrons. However, having the ability to use technology that already exists and is accessible for many people, including young and upcoming library users will help us keep in touch with them and give ourselves credibility in their eyes.

The statistics used in Rick Anderson's article "Away from the Icebergs" were really frightening - a 55% drop in circulation stats really is unfathonable. Coming from a library that has been underfunded as long as I can remember the thought of a drop in circulation like this makes me wonder about the implication of this new technology on our funding. How would we be able to prove people were still using the library service without the turnover statistics that form the basis of much of our funding? We have already seen a move away from print materials where our reference queries are concerned, with it often being easier and more up to date to source information from online databases. As Rick Andersons pointed out printed material is often "difficult, exensive and slow to distribute", much of it is out of date before t even hits the shelves.

All that said I do believe that their will always be a place in the world for a traditional library service - their is nothing really as nice as curling up with a good book! I like Dr Wendy Schultz's way of looking at things when she says that new library technology will not replace the old library but merely absorb it.

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