The term ‘Library 2.0’ first appeared in a rather non-descript blog post written by Michael Casey in September 2005. Whether intentional or not, at the time Casey used the term, he did so in an attempt to directly connect ‘Library 2.0’ to the characteristics and technologies of Web 2.0. The hallmarks of Web 2.0 – and by Casey’s unwitting extension, Library 2.0 – are that people use technology tools to widely share their ideas, generate content, and have easier access to collaborative tools.

Burton (2019), Chun (2018), and Dodd (2019), all explore what they believe to be the core knowledge, skills, and attributes of information professionals working within Library 2.0 institutions. Burton argues that amongst those core competencies most valued (and missing) by information professionals are analysis, technology utilisation, communication and project management (2019, p. 43). Chun (2018) poetically discusses the need for LIS employees, specifically teacher librarians, to accept imperfection and be brave in embracing new technology. Meanwhile, Dodd puts forward the idea that employers and managers should be looking at ‘capacities’ of employees, instead of ‘competencies’, which may have an air of “rigid rules and demands from higher-ups” (2019, p. 688).

So what then, do I believe to be the essential knowledge, skills and attributes of information professionals in a Web 2.0 world? I believe that information professionals are expected to be adaptable and fast learners, who are skilled in management, particularly because they often work independently from their peers (Huvila et al., 2013). I believe that information professionals are expected to have the skills to encourage, teach and guide others in information literacy development and the use of Web 2.0 technologies. I also think that in the last 20 decades, librarians have come to see that they need to use these technologies to engage with patrons, interact with professional learning networks, and help others to do the same. Above all though, information professionals must be brave, and open to taking (calculated) risks in their professional lives, as Chun (2018) notes.

As a teacher librarian, I am also reminded that information professionals do a million over things that they are often not credited for. Why? Because they have the capacity. As society evolves — as it has been doing since conception — so must information professionals.

Reference List 

Burton, S. (2019). Future skills for the LIS profession. Online Searcher, 43(2), 42-45.

Casey, M. (2005, September 26). Librarians Without Borders [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.librarycrunch.com/2005/09/librarians_without_borders.html.

Chun, T. (2018). “Brave before perfect”: A new approach for future-ready librarians. Teacher Librarian, 45(5), 35-37.

Dodd, J. (2019). Competency or capacity: Measuring librarians’ potential for success. Journal of Library Administration, 59(6), 684-692.

Evolving Librarian [Image]. (n.d.). Newprofessionalsnetwork. https://newprofessionalsnetwork.wordpress.com/tag/librarian-2-0/.