Thing #15: Read and Comment on a few perspectives on Library 2.0

In terms of what Dr. Wendy Schultz says in her article (you can find it here), I look forward to a day when library 4.0 serves us coffee and single malt and comfortable chairs. Her view is sort of like this: The public library in the future will be an intellectual oasis, but we will need experienced techno-savvy librarians to guide customers on how to use all the emerging technology. Rick Anderson also describes a future where customers will expect access to all sorts of digital collections and journals, and the physical collections in libraries will be little or none. I for one whole-heartedly and enthusiastically support the digitization of collections. I would love to be able to walk into any library and have access to collections from all over the world. I dream of a future where there is little or no barrier between the individual and the information they need. If I want to view a collection of photographs that physically resides in another country, I will simply log on to their website and have instant access to them. As always, easier said than done. There will always be the technology barrier. Unfortunately many people do not possess the computer skills necessary to navigate much of the information that is available digitally. Further, many librarians don't have skills necessary to navigate the digital realm. Because of this I don't see our physical collections being replaced by digital in the near future. Also, every website, database, and digital collection is different and it takes a certain amount of tech-confidence to dive into these places and explore without becoming frustrated. I think a certain amount of uniformity or standarization needs to be put in place for Library 2.0 to be fully successful. Most folks will not have the patience to learn the ins and outs of every website or digital tool, but if every tool operates more or less in the same manner I think people will be more likely to use them with confidence. The big picture these folks describe is good if a little utopian. I do believe librarians have a responsiblity to explore these resources which is one of the reasons I am involved in the 23 things program. I'm not confident that our physical collections are going to diminish much in the near future, but certainly the number of digital resources we will need to understand are only going to increase.