Library 2.0

Library 2.0

SECTION 1

The landscape of libraries and the profession of librarianship are constantly evolving. The word “library” may conjure up an image of an old building smelling of even older books in the mind of the public and “librarian” may still make many people recall a shushing spinster. In reality, the 21st century library and the 21st century librarian have moved light years beyond those worn-out stereotypes. Today's library is a transformed space that exceeds its physical boundaries and reaches into cyberspace. Today's librarian must be tech savvy and remain attuned to a body of users with an enormous range of needs and aptitudes. Meanwhile, the language used to describe libraries and librarians has kept pace with the changes in the field, in some cases leading to confusion among users and controversy among practitioners.

Library 2.0 is hype, a bandwagon, a confrontation, a negative assertion about existing libraries, their viability, their relevance and their lack of changes. Although Web 2.0 and Web 2.0 technology plays a imperative role in Library 2.0, it cannot be the only function as otherwise as argued, it would still be Web 2.0 just used in a library setting. Even basing the concept of Web 2.0 functionality and the openness it provides seems limiting. There are also definitions that are succinct and useful but do not fully reflect the whole Library 2.0 universe (Tripathi, 2010). This concept of Library 2.0 is built around 'seven building blocks' which are all interconnected. The blocks are: Interactivity; Users; Participation; Libraries and Library Services; Web & Web 2.0; Social Aspects and Technology & Tools. As is shown by the diagram below, the core building block, most vital to Library 2.0 and connects all others is 'interactivity'.

Traditional library roles are getting modern facelifts as well. The title Metadata Librarian has begun to eclipse the more familiar Cataloguing Librarian in academic libraries. This new title reflects the proliferation of electronic resources and the accompanying metadata that chart those resources for easier navigation (Bradley, 2007). New library position titles reflect not just new technologies, but also a changing relationship between librarians and patrons. For example, many libraries now have a User Experience Librarian on staff in a move toward a smoother user-to-library interaction. As libraries rethink this crucial relationship, the very definition of what a library is and what services it provides are under examination. The term that has come to encompass this new approach is Library 2.0. Similar to the more widely used Web 2.0, Library 2.0 refers to an emerging model of library services that emphasizes user feedback and participation. The “2.0” moniker suggests a complete overhaul of the old concept of a library (the supposed Library 1.0) and also positions the library as a vital and current institution through association with the Web 2.0 term.

Interactivity is the core ingredient of Library 2.0. In fact it is the core aspect of the modern library. Without interactivity, be it user or library-led, none of the other 'blocks' can fully work - ...