Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is really nothing new. Using new tools to support our mission is part of the Library’s evolution and history. Libraries grow and change all the time in order to stay current and vital. The ideas inherent in Web 2.0, such as community building and information sharing, are not new and can easily fit in with our traditional values. What a wonderful thing if web 2.0 tools truly help us stay connected with our users and provide for us more effective ways of communicating with each other.

While these tools facilitate information sharing, I am not sure what to make of the structures of knowledge that they create. Are there real drawbacks to all this “knowledge sharing” where everyone is an author yet no one is the expert? Where do you find the truth amidst all this sharing because, don’t forget, it is too easy to share the wrong information now, quickly, around the world. Many post first and think later. While we have more information, it is also easier to choose not to explore deeply. Yet you often need to explore deeply to really understand the truth. When libraries speak of Web 2.0, I would love to hear them mention information literacy in the same sentence. In this environment, to read and think critically, while not a new concept, is becoming increasingly important and should be part of any library’s Web 2.0 initiative.

In 1998, librarian Michael Gorman, past president of ALA, recommended the following laws of librarianship in, "Our Singular Strengths":

Libraries serve humanity.
Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated.
Use technology intelligently to enhance service.
Protect free access to knowledge.
Honor the past and create the future.

I like to think of web2.0 in this framework, by not forgetting our past and seeking the balance between past and future. Respecting true knowledge, which is different than information and above all remembering our purpose. Web 2.0 will not make a library but it can, if used in the right way, enhance what it does.