After reading 3 titles from the list of articles I had a few thoughts about the future of Library 2.0. I think the outlook of Rick Anderson in Away from the "icebergs" was a little too apocalyptic and depressing. Does he really envision a world in which every transaction is conducted from a remote location, every encounter is "virtual"? He operates in an academic setting which is very different from a public library. His users may well be comfortable with and demanding 2.0 capabilities.
I operate in the children's room at a public library and despite the relative young age of most of the parents coming into the room I am surprised at their lack of facility with the library's current technology. Most will ask for help in locating items, before using the OPAC. Most are unaware of how to renew or request books from home. We, the staff, are very engaged in teaching them how to use our current systems, which they respond to with varying enthusiasm. I do not see an overwhelming demand for more autonomy.
I am sure that the academic libraries will be in the forefront of implementing the 2.0 technologies. We at the public libraries may be able to change more slowly so as not to leave our patron base behind.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
There is a common assumption that folks under say 25 are tech savvy and able to operate computers successfully. The truth is that some of them still lack the knowledge on how to use systems. They may be very good at the handful of tasks they know how to do, but anything outside may be a challenge.
ReplyDelete