(UC Berkeley Events, 2007)

I have selected five pieces of advice given by the keynote speaker, Meredith Farkas, in this video which would be particularly relevant in helping the public library I am employed at embrace Library 2.0. These are:

  • Question EVERYTHING that we do currently.
  • Put our information where our users are.
  • Place radical trust in our users to help create the future.
  • Avoid technolust.
  • Allow adequate time for web 2.0 learning and responsibilities.

(UC Berkeley Events, 2007).

Questioning everything we do is important for embracing library 2.0. This process encourages innovation in how we approach all tasks and procedures, and helps identify those that are irrelevant or need updating in order to create a more connected, collaborative environment.

We know who a lot of our physical customers are, and why and how they use the library, but know much less about our online community. Therefore we really need to establish where our community go for information and ensure we have a presence there, as so many people do not think of the public library as a highly relevant information tool. We do have a Facebook profile which is regularly updated, particularly during special events. and asks for community input frequently through games and questions.  After some research for this subject I have realised that Twitter could be beneficial to my library, as when used mindfully can engage the community, start a dialogue and create responses and action from that community (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012, p. 352).

It is OK to allow feedback and give control (to a certain extent!) to the public. Negative comments and inappropriate content can be moderated. Placing radical trust in our community involves understanding that people like commenting and contributing. We have to be more open and trust our users to help improve our services.

Having a team of people comprised of all levels of staff to evaluate new technology and asking for community input could be ways of ensuring chosen technologies will benefit our library and our users.

Once a web 2.0 tool has been implemented, appropriate time must be given to staff to use the tool effectively, it cannot be squeezed in around other duties if it is to have the desired library 2.0 results.

References

Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community and action: How nonprofit organizations  use social media. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17 (3), 337-353. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-  6101.2012.01576.x

UC Berkeley Events. (2007). Building academic library 2.0 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_uOKFhoznI