Thing #14

Web 2.0 is an interesting concept. How can libraries get involved in the social use and networking of the world wide web. I think this has tremendous impact on the Center for Discovery. Collection Development and floating has shown that our collection need not be as big as it once was. Do we still need mainstays and staples? Absolutely. We wouldn't be a good children's library without certain books. But, 2.0 affects our entire idea of our non-fiction collection. We simply do not need to maintain as much as a physical collection. What about training kids on using the library. It is no longer acceptable to show them how to use the dewey decimal system. We need to be instructing them on finding and evaluating websites, on using social networking tools, on finding information on the computers. Perhaps we should take out 1/2 our shelving and replace it with computers and staff who can show children, teens, and their parents how to use/find information from technology. Books are never going to go away...but how we access information is going to change drastically. The Center for Discovery needs to be at the forefront of this movement.