Thing 23

I think the most important thing to remember in developing new ideas for Web 2.0 use in the library is to avoid “technolust.”  New technology is not always a good thing; you have to ask yourself if it is really better than the old way of doing things.  In some cases it is, in some cases it isn’t.  Technology should only be adopted if the library sees a true need for it and is committed to following through (i.e. you shouldn’t start up a blog and then quit after two or three posts).

I think education also has to be a very important aspect of the Library 2.0.  It’s all well and good that staff members have been learning Web 2.0 skills through 23 Things, but we now have to figure out effective ways to pass that information on to our patrons.  I’d love to see a modified version of 23 Things introduced to the patrons as something akin to a summer reading program.  There could be prizes and tech training sessions to help with completion of the program, just as the staff had.  We could also do a series of classes in the community office; I know right now we have Open Source Mondays, which covers some aspects of Web 2.0, but it would be fun to set up a 2.0-centric series of classes.  This is something we could market especially to young adults, which is a demographic group that does not usually attend community office classes.

I think the key is to identify ways in which Web 2.0 can improve the lives of our patrons and then help them learn to utilize these technologies.  Without that practical element, Web 2.0 can seem like just so many neat technological toys.