...change the information environment and user behaviours? And how can libraries meet the challenges?
One of the main changes which Web 2.0 brings is the ability to be interactive, which gives the user more say. This can be both a positive and negative thing - the concern over the reliability of information becomes greater and the possibility of vandalism is increased. However, being able to provide/receive feedback can be very useful and it tends to engage people more if they feel they are making a contribution.
Libraries need to try to keep abreast of the new technologies so that they are in a position to introduce them to their users and explain the benefits/drawbacks. It is an enormous challenge - the speed of change is so rapid that it's very easy to fall behind. There are also so many different tools providing the same service and they all work slightly differently - it would be impossible to be familiar with them all. All the same there is a great opportunity for training here if a programme could be devised which wasn't too general, but introduced users to the different technologies with examples and provided opportunities for hands-on experience. I also think a regular column in our library newsletter highlighting a different technology or service each time would help to make more people aware of what's available.
It's important to remember that not everyone has the latest hardware/software and not everyone is technically minded. To be inclusive, libraries need to make sure that they don't make things too complex.
I liked the idea of using blogging software to create a library catalogue - allowing each entry to be individually indexed, which provides an audit trail and lets users post comments. Users can also build up their own personal collections and share them with others.
There will need to be even more emphasis on critical appraisal skills. I find the idea of users being able to change the content of a library website quite scary.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Sarah, I am also thinking at this stage of introducing the idea of Web 2.0 technologies to my trust by some training around the subject. However, I need to do some user research first to find out how much people know. I suspect there may be some very wide gaps in knowledge out there, so knowing who to target first may be a difficult one, a number of the people I see during outreach work are way behind on this kind of thing, but that is no reason why they shouldn't be informed.
I agree. It's going to be very difficult to know what level to pitch any training and to decide which technologies are the most appropriate.
I felt really nervous at the start of this course because of my lack of knowledge of Web 2.0 etc, so can appreciate how daunting it might seem for new users.
Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira.(If you speak English can see the version in English of the Camiseta Personalizada. Thanks for the attention, bye). Até mais.
I agree that training is the first place to go.
Post a Comment