These are some notes for my discussion with Springfield Public Library, but I'm posting them here because I think they're applicable to any public library.
A lot of folks have linked to Are Librarians Totally Obsolete? 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important, but I want to highlight a few of its specific points because they nicely illustrate much of the Library 2.0 discussion. Please be sure to read the whole thing article on DegreeTutor, though. Any italics below are my emphasis, not the original author's.
These are our talking points for tonight, as they should be at your public library, too.
"17. Physical libraries can adapt to cultural change.
...Washington State University director of libraries Virginia Steel, for example, is a proponent of maximizing the social and interactive nature of physical library space. Group study, art exhibits, food and coffee - talking, not whispering; this is the new library. It's not obsolete, it's just changing.
19. The internet isn’t DIY.
...The internet is intensely social and interactive, and has created communities of users that are often remarkably as tight-knit as they are large. The internet is serving as a tool for humans to fulfill their natural community building instincts – sharing, interacting and doing business.
The online economy is driven in large part by the web 2.0 philosophy of human interaction, peer review and the democratization of knowledge and analysis....
Interestingly, the role of the moderator very much parallels the role of the librarian: to safeguard an environment in which knowledge can be accessed and ideas can be shared.
20. Wisdom of crowds is untrustworthy, because of the tipping point.
...it is extremely important that libraries remain alive and well, as a counterpoint to the fragile populism of the web.
22. Unlike moderators, librarians must straddle the line between libraries and the internet.
Media literacy, although an extremely important asset for scholars and researchers, is far from universal. Who is going to teach media literacy? Many argue that librarians are the best fit to educate people about the web.
33. Old books are valuable.
But if the evolution of libraries grows to become an interactive meeting place for cultural events and the exchange of ideas, the preservation and exhibition of archival literary relics could be yet another facet to their importance (and, yes, intrigue). Indeed, old books are not only monetarily valuable, but they are part of cultural, historical memory that mustn’t be lost to digitization.
Conclusion
...Libraries can adapt to social and technological changes, but they can’t be replaced. While libraries are distinct from the internet, librarians are the most suited professionals to guide scholars and citizens toward a better understanding of how to find valuable information online. Indeed, a lot of information is online. But a lot is still on paper. Instead of regarding libraries as obsolete, state and federal governments should increase funding for improved staffing and technology. Rather than lope blindly through the digital age, guided only by the corporate interests of web economics, society should foster a culture of guides and guideposts. Today, more than ever, libraries and librarians are extremely important for the preservation and improvement of our culture."
I would also like to point you towards
my notes about Howard Rheingold's presentation about libraries teaching our children how to be good citizens.
A reminder about the "C's" that Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 foster:
- Community
- Conversation
- Commons
- Collaboration
Some role models:
- Ann Arbor District Library (AADL Teen Blog) - note all of the posts with comments from the community; the Library is having a conversation online with its patrons
- Comments in the Hennepin County Library Catalog - note how there are already 54 comments on the new Harry Potter book that doesn't even come out for more than four months
- Western Springs History - 4620 Grand - when libraries normally provide local history online, it's just what the librarians know about the community; here, we see the community also contributing (collaborating) complementary knowledge that the librarians wouldn't otherwise be able to provide
- Lansing Public Library's READ Posters - note how just posting some pictures of local community leaders helps get the Library out into the community, via the newspaper, posters in the schools, etc.; it helps humanize the Library, especially online
- Homer Township Public Library District's Flickr Pictures - note how the pictures of the Bookmobile, Crazy Hat Days help show the vibrancy that happens in the Library and shows the community using their services (and smiling about it, too!); notice, too, how they redisplay current pictures on their home page automatically, as well as headlines from their blog; they load the pictures once and then reuse them on their website without any additional staff time
- Kansas City Public Library Subject Guides - note how they've made it easy to find everything about a topic in one place (expertise), rather than forcing users to go to the catalog to find books on the topic, guessing at which databases to use for that topic, going to the calendar to find events on that topic, etc.
- Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library's Netflix-like Program - a great way to reach out to users who don't have time or transportation to visit the Library regularly
- Bloomington Public Library's , part of the Project Next Generation program; read a little more about the 2006 FilmFest here, watch for the 2007 FilmFest here
- Carver's Bay and their gaming for literacy program
The glue that holds a lot of the online pieces together is blogging plus "Really Simple Syndication" (RSS). Some examples:
Three important things to discuss about your online services:
- Community - is it just you online or are you having conversations with your users?
- Conversations - is your website a one-way street or are you having conversations with your users online?
- Expertise/guidance - are you providing librarian expertise on your website, or does someone have to come in the building or call/email you to get guidance from a librarian?
Are you taking advantage of new (and often free) tools for libraries like blogging, RSS, wikis, instant messaging, gaming, etc. to foster the "C's?" If not, how can you get started?
- Start an internal emerging technologies group to study which new technologies might be useful for your Library
- Think about implementing something like the 23 Things/Learning 2.0 program from The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County for your staff
- Blogging + RSS - start a blog for the "what's new" section of your website and then display the headlines on lots of different websites using RSS
- Create zones in the physical library for different types of users
Addendum: Read about the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media, Learning, & Education initiative, especially their report Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century and ask yourself if/where libraries fit into this model and how.
Monday, February 5, 2007
