Web 2.0 is about “Connection”.
Libraries connect with their users in numerous new ways. They blog, they send the latest news by RSS feeds, they run online bookclubs, they help users navigate the internet and make suggestions of useful websites. They also understand the power of social networking sites and some have already made their presence in MySpace and FaceBook.
In the past few weeks, we read success stories of websites such as Flickr, FaceBook, MySpace, and LibraryThing. They succeed mainly because they give users a chance to contribute and to share information they have.
We also learned about the significance of virtual world. Many businesses campaign aggressively in Second Life. Education institutions and medical communities such as American Cancer Society and Center for Disease Control create avatars to dispense and share information.
These new technology tools are no longer for the young and the hip. They can help create a library without borders where users can fully participate and share resources. These tools are designed to build user loyalty by engaging them and connecting them on many levels.
When information flows freely on the internet, library users expect the same from libraries. Libraries need to break down barriers and share their resources. Users should be able to access to every electronic resource owned by every library in this country.
New technology has opened many doors and Web 2.0 is becoming part of the library culture. However, it works only if every library user owns a computer and participates in the same network. What if, for example, I need a tablespoon of sugar in the middle of baking a cake? Instead of looking for my buddies online, I would go to a different reality, I would knock at my neighbor's door. I would like my library to be the neighbor whom I can still count on when internet has its limitations and fails to connect.
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