Library 2.0 – Hype or Hope?

Here is an overview of what I intend to write about. Feel free to comment on anything, structure, topics I missed, things I should drop etc…

1. Introduction – The Library world is changing. The world that libraries exist in is changing, this may be a permanent feature…

2. New tools – Blogs, wikis og social software

A short overview of the most central technologies behind Web 2.0, and how they are appliccable to libraries. With examples from real life.

3. The challenge

Powershift and user power – If library users are used to having more power over information, how will this affect libraries and librarians? Is this a threat to the centuries old role of librarians as custodians and guardians of knowledge?

Our tools – The catalog is changing. New methods of access, tagging, folksonomies, user defined uses of the information the library produces

The book – Will new tools change the place of the book in the library? Will new tools give the book new opportunities?

4. Social software in and outside the library

Social software in the library – users and librarians, new modes of communication

Blogging as a tool for communication

Wikis for librarians

Social software outside the library – How can the library participate in the digital social dimension?

- Instant messaging

- Online games (Anarchy online, Halo, World of Warcraft etc.)

- My Library – MySpace and other social network builders

5. Library 2.0

Hype – technolust and other forms of beliefs in technology as the only solution and as a means in it self.

Hope – New ways to reach the library user, new ways to participate in the world

Library 2.0 in Norway today – Norwegian Digital Library intitative (Norsk Digitalt Bibliotek), The library whitepaper and other phenomenon.

Library 2.0 at your local library today

6. Librarian 2.0

Challenges to the second oldest profession in the world

Education and further education

The role of the profession and what is the core of our profession?

"I only want to be a librarian" – how to get 3000 norwegian librarians to participate in a systematic and systemwide change?

7. Library 3.0

Visions of the future based on some trends

Filed under: Library 2.0, Users

A foolish thing

I have decided to write a book, about Library 2.0, in Norwegian. This will be my No. 1 foolish thing of 2006. I know that it is foolish, but since I have had more fun and learnt more from the foolish stuff I have attempted in my life than all my sensible activities combined, this does not scare me much.

The background for this foolishness is something like this:

1. I feel there is a need for a book about Library 2.0, mainly to reach all the librarians who don´t read blogs, know what RSS is and who do not encounter the Web 2.0 in their everyday lives. All these librarians are not opposed to the Library 2.0 ideas, but they have not encountered the concept of Library 2.0 in a format that they are familiar with, and made relevant to their everyday working life. They need a chance to digest these ideas and make up their own mind with a minimum of knowledge about the background of Library 2.0.

2. My employer have given me R&D time to write this book! 50% of april and 10% of the rest of the year.

3. I want to attempt to write a book. I have taken part in the editing and writing of chapters in a book earlier. The norwegian Handbook in children´s library work (2003) where I wrote a chapter about Generation N. (From the book Growing up digital). It was great fun, really frustrating and a wonderful experience when the whole thing was done and published.
4. I want to write a book in the Library 2.0 spirit. I will write the book itself in Norwegian, but most of what I think and explore will appear in this blog in "Beta-format". There will therefore be ample opportunity for anybody who wants to comment, contribute or critizise to do so in this blog. I have high hopes for this book to be a collective endeavour and will share the credit with everybody who contributes.

5. I want to try out the web 2.0 tools and how they will contribute to writing this book. I will write most of the book in Writely, use del.icio.us for my bookmarks, use Library Thing to have an overview of the books I use, and so on.

6. I just had this great title I wanted to use! Library 2.0 – Hope or Hype?

Filed under: Blogging, Books, Library 2.0, Norway