Initial thoughts about 2.0

Web 2.0 helps us to think of the library as part of a social network: librarians, colleagues, students, and other interested parties linked by a common interest in information. Web 2.0 gives us the tools to interact in new ways away from traditional spaces. As we disclose and share our common interests we come to learn from others' experience. In the past, the "other" has been the librarian.; now the the possibilities are less predictable. In a way, we are all pathfinders. I expect that from time to time we will also be fellow travelers, at least until our paths of interest diverge.

Web 2.0 also seems to offer the possibility of offering information as both a medium and a message. The medium offers ways to emphasize important points, generate interest, improve mental retention. Not only must we now evaluate a message's veracity, we must also pay attention to the medium. Print on a page in a single font is a neutral medium; add sounds or images, and the reader becomes influenced by more than the words on the page.

These are some of my first impressions--based on what I have read about 2.0. We will see how my impressions change as I become more familiar with the toolls themselves.

Welcome to Bob's Library blog

Hello. I have created this blog as the first step in NorthTexas23 project sponsored by the North Texas Regional Library System. For more information, go to http://NorthTexas23.blogspot.com. My goal for participating in the project is to become more familiar with Web 2.0 technology and how it can be used by libraries. By the end of the summer, I hope to have caught up with the younger generation of librarians who are already familiar with it.