Library 2.0

I read through the "OCLC Next Space Newsletter" article named "Where will the next generation Web take libraries?" My overall opinion is that it's an interesting (mostly) philosophical statement on where libraries have been, where they are now and where they need to be going. Like many things in my lifetime, there has been a radical shift in defining what a traditional informational (or recreational) setting would be like. I remember being in elementary school and being told that by 1980, computers would be a part of everyday living. Then, when I saw it starting to happen, I found it intriguing and scary at the same time. Now with the internet, I've seen our lives transformed in something akin to what happened after the Industrial Revolution. So, the question for me is, "how do I negotiate all the rapid transitions required in order to assimilate the constant barrage of 'newness' in my life?" And, the question for libraries is, "how do we collectively negotiate the transitions necessary in order to bring our services to all of our patrons without disengaging patrons who have varying degrees of ability to cope with all that change?"

Now, back to today's post...

1. The following is a quote directly from the OCLC article mentioned above:

<< Another key lesson that O’Reilly emphasizes is the notion that “users add value.” For OCLC and its member libraries, this means expanding our definition of “collective intelligence” beyond the library professional to faculty, researchers, library patrons and others by building into our systems services that encourage these users contribute their expertise to the cooperative. OCLC’s work in this area to date has included a pilot program that allows anyone using Open WorldCat to contribute and share tables of contents, notes and reviews. This of course is just a beginning; over the next year we are planning to offer a variety of “social” services to allow non-cataloging library professionals, library patrons and others to contribute to and use WorldCat. Services under consideration include including tagging, list creation and sharing, citation management, personal cataloging, and the like. >>>

The idea that "user's add value" is something I'm (finally) beginning to understand as it relates to online information. The admonition "don't believe everything you read" is always in the back of my mind. I haven't been able to fully embrace the idea of how collaborative editing is completely useful. My problem stems from validation of the sources doing the editing. For example, while Wikipedia interests me, I still can't embrace it in the same way I do "World Book Encyclopedia" because in the latter's case, I know validation of sources is done and they have a consistent history of providing authentic information.

As I think about the possibilities with WorldCat in the quote above, I see how the collaborative environment could really enhance OCLC's services. I'm reminded of how often I scroll down in Amazon to read what people have to say about the item I'm interested in...and those opinions do affect my buying choices.

2.

<< The range of fulfillment options libraries present their users should extend beyond the options managed and under the control of individual institutions or consortiums. User-initiated services like renewal, recalls, and interlibrary loan requests should be complemented by views into the campus bookstore’s inventory, options to purchase from an online bookseller, displays of availability in any geographically proximate library, opportunities to see and select terms for expedited delivery, etc. User convenience warrants the provision of a comprehensive menu of choices in a single place.>>>

These ideas make a lot of sense to me. It's really akin to the Google model: everything in one easy to understand search box. People want 'one stop shopping' where all the choices are presented. This is where the custom search engines would be especially helpful. It will be interesting to see how KCLS is able to work these ideas into the web interface in the future.