May 06, 2006

Chicken or the Egg?

Jenny Levine has asked the ALA Library 2.0 participants to look at can "library 2.0 exist without librarian 2.0".

My gut reaction would be NO. Of course as a librarian myself, I have strong opinions and thoughts on the profession as a whole and its relevance in the information world. Librarians are able to filter free and purchased information, and make sure users get the BEST sources. Librarians can make the search process EASIER. Librarians discover and meet the USER's needs.

Now, after a slight pause, I looked a librarian's role within the 2.0 lifestyle. The technology tools of Web 2.0 are providing the same things as librarians: ease of getting the best (or recommend) sources to the user in the way and time they desire. These tools are being built and implemented by users, programmers, or resources that may be in competition with libraries.

I guess my conclusion to can "library 2.0 exist without librarians 2.0" would be YES. It should serve as a wake up call to the profession. What role will librarians serve in the development of Web 2.0? There are many opportunities for librarians, such as creating & organizing content, increasing ability for users to access information from anywhere & anytime, making processes easier, etc.

Categories

Trackbacks

Trackback URL for this entry is: http://blog.case.edu/bcg8/mt-tb.cgi/14703

Alternative Trackback Sources: | Google It! | Technorati | Bloglines