Thursday, February 14, 2008

Thing 2

As an academic librarian and parent of Millenials I’ve come to believe there is a fundamental change in how students learn. They’re incredible at multi-tasking. They want materials at their fingertips and the technology to manipulate and present information in an innovative and entertaining manner. Books have taken a back seat to other information sources. Library 2.0 could potentially increase book usage by enabling tagging (by students and librarians) and other things (that I have yet to learn) to “advertise” particular books or authors to other students. Students could be notified of new titles based on majors or identified interests. There are tons of possibilities.

One technology I’ve experienced and love is IM. When a student has trouble finding a book or article in the catalog, it is so nice to both be at computers trying things together to see what works even though we can't see each other.

Libraries must shift away from a rigid “traditional” view of a library’s place in society and be open to new innovations to present what we have. We know how to acquire, organize, and provide access to materials. Library 2.0 is just a bunch of new ways to make the most of what we have. Looking forward to learning more!

1 comment:

Ann said...

Congrats on getting started with 23 Things on a Stick!

SELCO staff and over 100 library staff members and trustees will be working through the program as well. We hope to have fun along the way and will offer the opportunity for regional prizes to all who complete the program by National Library Week. Enjoy!

Ann Hutton at SELCO