Web 2.0 and Libraries

Rick Anderson’s views in Away from the Icebergs are completely at odds with my own. He feels that library collections are a thing of the past, of little interest to current library users. Fortunately Michael Stephens takes a more balanced approach in Into a New World of Librarianship. He views technological change as positive, but not an end in itself. He talks about looking at the needs of users, building connections through Web 2.0 tools, avoiding “Techno-worship,” and looking for trends that might impact future services. Taking advantage of new technologies, but not letting these technologies set priorities, allows libraries to offer new services to the public, while retaining the best of their traditional role.