Methods 1 and 2

To be honest, this blog has been created as part of an project I'm participating in, so I guess I should post what Ive been asked to by the requirements of the assignment. As asked, I did some reading on the topic of Web 2.0 and how it relates to libraries and librarians. I can freely admit that while I "knew" what Web 2.0 I probably couldn't have given you a definition of what it was or what it meant. Having read these articles I now have a better understanding of what it really means.

Really, I am in a unique position in that I grew up in a generation that explored these many of these technologies as they were emerging as part of my education. I believe that in order for libraries to be institutions that people want to keep around or in some cases save, we need to be relevant. In order to be relevant we need to interact, to see and be seen. Utilizing Web 2.0 and library 2.0 technology is a way to make sure that our voice is heard in a way that makes people actually want to listen to us. The library is no longer a place that you walk into and are automatically hit with a wall of silence, or a place to go to just to check out books. Walk into any library and you will see people on their smart phones, groups of students studying in groups, patrons typing away at the computers. While Web 2.0 technology can be seen as a way to keep people from interacting face to face with one another, it has also allowed us to be more in touch with many aspects of our society at the same time. Who among us isn't in touch with a long lost friend from high school or an old neighbor that you probably would have lost touch with had it not been for social media. We need to apply these same ideas to libraries and our patrons. By harnessing Web 2.0 we can constantly be in contact without them ever having stepped foot into the library that day, week or even month. This is especially important since many of our services can be accessed from home now as well. By letting people know about new services, contests, new book arrivals and activities that they may never had head about otherwise, we can keep from becoming that friend that you always wondered, "What happened to them?".