Library 2.0 Movement Sees Benefits in Collaboration with Patrons
By Jason Boog November 4, 2005

At Internet Librarian conference last week over 100 library professionals discussed surviving in the world of web world where people get a lot of their facts from Google, thus emerged Library 2.0.

These librarians noticed that blogs, wikis, Google databases, etc. are all competing against librarians for their library patrons. Only by breaking out of traditional librarian molds (see my post Nov. 2, 2005 It's Time to Leave the Reference Desk) interacting with patrons and using technology (wikis, IM, blogs, tagging) can we better compete and better serve our patrons.

Library 2.0 is an interesting concept and there is no reason that medical librarians can not jump on to the 2.0 train. Depending on your library it may take time to get there. As Jessamyn West of librarian.net mentions, that not every library is ready to "upgrade" to Library 2.0. "Many libraries I work with are in towns where they can't get high speed access," she explained. "How can (libraries) be obsolete when people out there aren't even fully using them yet?"

Rome was not built in a day. You can't take your the beta version of your medical library to Medical Library 2.0 in a day either. It requires work and in some instance where your hospital/institution hampers your growth or services (see October 25, 2005 post, Web Mail for Patients and Visitors? Not Available in Some Hospital Libraries.) it requires a lot of tenacity and creativity. But there is no reason why medical librarians can not hop on the Library 2.0 and create a Medical Library 2.0.

That is my goal, how about you?