Thing 10: Libraries 2.0

Dr. Wendy Schultz describes the evolution of libraries much like the evolution of selling coffee. Her view is intriguing and intelligent. I can't help but be attracted to the "dream" of Library 4.0 - The Experience. I could see this happening in the near future, especially since it "will not replace Libraries 1.0 through 3.0; it will absorb them."



Rick Anderson highlights three "icebergs" that we must avoid if we are to progress satisfactorily into Library 2.0. The first is an insistence on a comprehensive collection. He argues that because information is so available now, it is foolhardy to buy and keep material "just in case." My concern with this point is that good books are constantly going out of print. Does this mean that they have no value? If they still do, who (if not the libraries) will protect them from extinction? Another consideration is that although there is a large amount of information available on the internet, it is not all reliable by any means. Anyone may edit Wikipedia or write about historic events. Perhaps this is not a deal-breaker, but what can we do to ensure the best quality of materials?

Whew, this topic is just too big to discuss at length with only myself.

Thing 9: Library Blogs

I used some more sites that help you search for RSS feeds, but none of them inspired me too much. The Syndic8.com one was ok, and I found some literature-themed blogs which inspired me to look up the Harry Potter fansite Mugglenet, but it turns out you can't subscribe to it, only to a few off-shoots:( Sad times. So, like I said, I added some literature feeds, but didn't find a whole lot that was interesting. Mostly I'm worried that it will just get too long to even want to bother reading all of it. I wonder if anyone else has that problem.

Thing 8

I was happy to be forced into exploring this new technology, since I knew nothing about it. It's really rather straightforward, except it would be nice if all sites had the handy buttons to click on instead of having to enter the web address. I chose to use Google Reader, since I already have an account with them. I didn't subscribe to any of the other KDL blogs since they all seemed to be either finished or hadn't been updated in years. Here is the link to my RSS feeder:)