INF 506 Implementing Library 2.0

Implementing Library 2.0

The school I sometimes work at is a split campus. Unlike the junior campus, the senior school has a reliable Internet connection and all students have a laptop. The library at the senior campus is therefore better positioned to attempt library 2.0.

Meredith Farkas’ keynote speech on Building Academic Library 2.0 mentioned the dangers of ‘technolust’. This is when librarians take on a new technology whether patrons need it, want it or will ever use it. The library must examine which Web 2.0 platform connects best with the students: a blog, a fiki, a webpage or a facebook page?

Students currently get told off for accessing facebook in the library. The TL sees it as a distraction or worse still, a foray into cyberbullying. The library needs to develop a risk-tolerant culture where social networking and information sharing are encouraged. Obviously a policy needs to be developed to cater for this.

Adopting a library 2.0 ethos would be done in small steps. If the library collaborates with IT staff and other interested teachers useful partnerships are created. Pathfinders can be established on wikis, which staff can add to over time. Students could use Web 2.0 platforms to comment on issues, compare experiment results, share photographs for assignments and so on. Having some staff members on board builds support and slowly changes the school culture.

Another simple step would be the marketing approach where the TL can use the Web 2.0 platform to highlight collections. This doesn’t just refer to new print resources. Often students are unaware of digital resources in the library. For example our school has ECHO online, an online database of newspaper articles. Most students don’t know what it is, let alone how to use it.

Maintaining the Web 2.0 platform must be made a priority. If we make it a rule that two hours each week are devoted to Web 2.0 maintenance then surely benefits will begin to appear. If not, then we need to adapt to the next technology that is capturing our student’s time and attention.