Thing #2

Several ideas and issues come to my mind as I read and viewed the Thing 2 content. First, I agree with Stephen Abram that we have to experience and try things--just reading about them doesn't help us to learn, remember, and put the tool/concept to use. Second, I like the idead that Library 2.0 is about being relevant to our users--and to all segments of users with different demographics, skills, and needs. Third, I found the comment (by John Blyberg, I think) that there's a "lot of fantastic non-authoritative data--we just need to get off of our high horses and decide to make it available" intriguing and jolting. Intriguing because this comment makes me decide to take a fresh look at non-authoritative data and jolting because I'm a recent MLIS graduate and I've had the "check the authority of your source" rule drummed into me.

I decided to take a look at some of the tools/sites mentioned in the reading. Since my home library is the Hennepin County Library system, I looked at BookSpace on their site www.hclib.org/pub/bookspace and realized that this is a tool I'm already using and loving. Hennepin County Library also has FaceBook on their site--I went to this link but decided not to register to use FaceBook. I have two teenaged sons who use FaceBook daily, and in my mind, FaceBook is a tool for teenagers. While I know this isn't totally true (I read in Business Week recently that the registrations from older adults--i.e. older than 30--is booming), to me, FaceBook is too tightly associated with teens. But maybe this is partly what Library 2.0 is about--giving people options.

Along this theme, another good example of giving people options is Darien Library's Contact Us page www.darienlibrary.org/contact.php with email, phone, IM, and library open hours all listed together. I think I may adapt this for my small, special library.

I also looked at the Ann Arbor District Library's website, including the Director's blog and their catalog http://www.aadl.org/ . I loved the catalog with its link to Google Book and also the image of a the metadata from a card catalog. Catalogs with rich data like this can serve a Reader's Advisory function for patrons--something traditional descriptive cataloging doesn't do well.

Finally, Thing 2 has convinced me that I need to continue exploring these tools and concepts. I don't like using technology for technology's sake (just because it looks flashy) but because it can enhance content and deliver better service. I like the idea that we need to think and reflect on the activities in our blogs. Along those lines, I'd like to share something my younger son, Matt (now 16), told me when he was in elementary school.

Matt: I don't like to read
Me: Why not?
Matt: Because you have to think
Me: So?
Matt: Thinking is hard work.

Yes indeed, thinking is hard work....