Thing #15

Library 2.0 is a way of reinventing our ideas of how libraries provide services to their customers. Embracing change is necessary if libraries are to survive in this ever-changing digital age. There will always be a great need for information and knowledge; it is the way one finds it that is rapidly changing. I am really excited about the future of libraries. For one I always feel that people do not learn in silence. I like the 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 library visions because they enhance the experience of the library. They make it interactive, reactive and creative. They make it a place a buzz with the excitement of knowledge. “A happening place!” I loved the video of the Transformation Lab project I found on YouTube where they took out the bookshelves and old library furniture, they replaced it with interactive technology to show what a library might be like in a digital world. (See Thing#20 Below) This is an interesting clip of a children's library section recently posted as part of the Transformation Lab project. What child wouldn't want to interact with this library? I loved the Bib phones, Sliding Titles and Story Surfer. The Bib phones allowed children to embed into chips located on the books their thoughts after reading that selection. Then future readers could put the Bib phone to the book and hear reviews. Even adults would love to use this technology. The sliding titles allowed readers to see clips of books and preview without wandering the isles. The story surfer was perhaps the most exciting feature allowing a child to totally immerse themselves physically and mentally in the library experience. What child wouldn't want to visit this library?


Librarians 2.0 must be flexible, embrace technology, crave change and hospitable. They must encourage their customers to interact and express their desires for what the library can do to serve them. For one, Librarians 2.0 must create a library that is not bound by walls or hours. They must have a digital presence as well as a physical presence. They must encourage their customers to not only consume knowledge but to create it! Librarians will not become obsolete, they will become of the greatest importance to helping customers navigate the ever changing information superhighway of the future.