A recent TV documentary about life on the planet earth makes mentions about how different species of animals or insects adapt to a changing environment. The librarianship profession certainly has responded to a changing society driven by a changing technology. The authors (Sodt, Summey 2009) present the term Library 2.0 as a response to Web 2.0 tools term. The term Library 2.0 was coined by Michael Casey on his blog Library Crunch to refer to a user centered environment that meet information needs and learning with community building. Libraries 2.0 are principles that take the Web 2.0 tools to create a more user centered library environment. Library 2.0 principles take Web 2.0 tools to go beyond the library’s walls to meet the needs of distance learning community especially nontraditional students who more than often have families and full time jobs. The authors argue that off campus students need a collaborative place within the university setting that need not be a physical place necessary but virtual. A Library 2.0 model known as the information commons model is when a library makes changes in its facilities to provide computers, furniture with collaborative spaces and social areas. Library 2.0 takes social networking, Wikis, Blogs Podcasting and RSS feeds under the Web 2.0 umbrella and elaborates extensively on the ways these technologies can be used in a library setting to enhance distance learning and brings the library to a more user centered approached in today’s information world.
The authors noted that not everything needs to change to the latest Web 2.0 tools at once. Changing the way the way a library technically functions take time. Library 2.0 considers how Web 2.0 tools are used and needed in due part of Library 2.0 principles having scalability and flexibility. This scalability and flexibility appears to be in line with (Harvey,2009) argument that the library must step back and evaluated what Web 2.0 tools are best to meet the needs of a distance learning community and create a more user centered environment.
Casey,M.E. (2005) Librarians Without borders.LibraryCrunch. Retrieved March 24,2010
http://www.librarycrunch.com/2005/09/librarians_without_borders.html
Harvey, M. (2009). What Does It Mean to Be a Science Librarian 2.0?. Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship. Retrieved March 9, 2010, from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.
Sodt, J., & Summey, T. (2009). Beyond the Library's Walls: Using Library 2.0 Tools to Reach Out to All Users. Journal of Library Administration, 49(1/2), 97-109. doi:10.1080/01930820802312854.
