2.0 Revisited and/or Revealed

     The video I posted last night discusses whether or not the Library 2.0 phenomenon is indeed real, or if it is just so much hyperbole. At this point, it seems that
no one would be able to definitively answer that question. I think that there are much more important concerns facing libraries at the moment than whether or not we are getting too excited about a catchphrase or a concept.
     The image I posted last night depicts a library user in somewhat of a digitized form - something like an avatar, or an icon. What this graphical representation of the library user is doing in this depiction is reading. Reading denotes learning, or at least engaging one's brain cells. The physical format of the reading material is a secondary concern, if that. The meaning of the action depicted is paramount to the mechanical process by which the action takes place. This is an idea that we need to keep foremost in our minds as we accompany our libraries further along in our journey of this brave new world in which we find ourselves.
     If we keep our focus on meaning and avoid getting agitated by changes in routinized behaviors, 2.0 can mean more than its technical definition as stated in the video post. The meaning of the institution of the library is the provision of free and equal access to information for the general public. As the locus of information moves away from print and into remote servers accessible by internet connections combined with PCs or Macs, the library must follow the information and provide the necessary access.
     If encyclopedias are not being published in print form, libraries will no longer need the shelf space allocated for them. What they will need is access to the electronic format of said encyclopedia in direct proportion. As more and more print materials go the way of Encyclopedia Americana, physical library space must follow suit. Once the books are digitized, the means of downloading them and displaying them must be provided. Once the NY Times goes out of print, a space for accessing and viewing its classifieds must be provided. And when there is no longer a physical space in which a collection of books must be maintained and organized and cataloged, there will no longer be a need for a traditional OPAC or Library of Congress Subject Headings and controlled taxonomies. In the digital realm, tagging will replace Dewey. But the public will not replace librarians, for they must provide high quality tags as well. In addition, they should maintain online organized collections that will suit the needs of their public quickly and efficiently. They will also guide the public through the digital realm and the new processes by which they will perform tasks once oriented towards print. They must provide special equipment that makes the online world accessible to those with disabilities. They must assist in scholarly research and provide access to those databases which are still closed unless paid for.   
     LibraryThing for Libraries is an excellent place for libraries to begin learning the new ways of the new world of tagging. Blogs can replace the bulk-mailing of the library newsletter without the expense in money or in natural resources. The brave new world is wide open for those who are willing to match it in name and spirit.