#17 Library2.0 and Web 2.0

On the homeward trail....
Web 2.0 - The rate of technological change is mind-boggling and the amount of things one can do on the Web are also. Libraries need to keep up and know what is out there and what our patrons want - hence Library 2.0. Looked at Library Labs and went to a session at the Library on the project for federated searching being worked on as part of SLV 21 and it looks good. Some time ago I came to the conclusion that it was a shame that our patrons did not know where to look for anything other than books (and even that not very well) and they certainly didn't understand that there were other catalogues that they could use to find journal articles, pictures, manuscripts, local history, ephemera, etc, etc. In fact sometimes they didn't even realise that the only way any information could be found on their chosen subject was in a journal. It will be terrific to have federated searching in order to get full use out of our very expensive databases and the work that we have put into digitising and cataloguing in the special collections. Clustering facets to help further your research, is a good idea, too.

I've looked at tags added by people using Flickr and Library Thing and many of the tags don't adequately describe the item. Seeking input from library users is good (like the user surveys), however, I wouldn't feel comfortable about patrons adding tags to entries on the computer. I think we still need to keep control of the catalogue.

In conclusion, the way the SLV operates is changing (SLV 21 Projects) and will continue to do so as technology changes over time. It is a given that the SLV will certainly be a very different place to work in the future, ensuring that we will be kept on our toes!