Transforming to Library 2.0

The Building Academic Library 2.0 Youtube clip provided much food for thought.  

 Planning and meeting user needs

• Trying to be Library 2.0 for the sake of it is a waste of time. If effective plans, directions and partnerships are not in place it will be very difficult to reach desired goals and cater for user needs well.  To be able to truly meet user needs we need to know exactly who they are, what they want/need AND where they hang out - we need to find and involve them.

Being willing to adapt, change and keep up

• There never really was a Library 1.0 - libraries have always been using technology, innovating and responding to user needs.  It is more of an evolution - and one that we need to keep pace with and look further a field for ideas and inspiration. Traditional "truths" and current practice need to be challenged to ensure we are doing them for the right reasons - not just because that is the way they've always been done.

Getting all (or most) staff on board

• Organisation 2.0 is a key to a successful library 2.0. Developing a risk-tolerant culture within not only the library but the whole school is important. Encouraging others to have the progressive mindset is not always easy, and will require gentle patience and perseverance in many cases. Providing staff with hands on experience and professional development sessions will assist them greatly. Resistance is natural and it will take some longer than others to make the (ongoing) changes required.
• Innovative and interested staff need to be nurtured by giving them adequate time to experiment and implement web 2.0 systems.

Challenge traditional views

• We need to challenge the idea that the library is the fountain and provider of all knowledge and change it more towards a more cooperative, collaborative approach - where we work together to achieve great services.

 The idea of a "perpetual beta" where the library is constantly evaluating itself and changing its resources, technologies, systems and ideas is where I want to be.  I loved Biancu's (2006) Library 2.0 Meme Map as I think it sums up neatly what Library 2.o is all about. 



References:

Biancu, B. 2006. Library 2.o meme map. (Image) Retrieved 13/12/13 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonaria/113222147/sizes/o/

Farkas, M. 2007. Building academic library 2.0. UCBerkeleyEvents. Retrieved 10/12/13 from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_uOKFhoznI.