1. Introduction: The term
Library 2.0 was coined by Michael Casey on his blog LibraryCrunch as a direct
spin-off of the terms Business 2.0 and Web 2.0 and follows some of the same
underlying philosophies. Many of the elements of Web 2.0 have applicable value
within the library community, both in technology-driven services and in
non-technology based services.
2. Definition: According to
Holmberg, Huvila, Kronqvist-Berg, & Widén-Wulff (2009) “library 2.0 is a change in
interaction between users and libraries in a new culture of participation
catalysed by social web technologies”.
Library 2.0 is a loosely define term
that depicts a modified form of library service which reflects a transition
within the library world where the library services are user-centered, dynamic,
interactive, participative, collaborative and contributive in the creation and
development of service, content and culture. It is a new way of providing
library service through Internet based technologies, with emphasis on
user-centered change and interaction. The user valuable feedbacks and
suggestions may inform the library staff about the use of plain language,
flexibility and customizability.
3. How Library
2.0 can be applied in the Libraries: There are five primary characteristics
of library 2.0 and they are dynamic, interactive, participative, collaborative
and contributive i.e. every time the user see the library they should
experience something new with the scope of interaction, participation,
collaboration with other user or with the library and there should be a scope
for contribution towards the services and the library in general.
In 2009, Holmberg, Huvila,
Kronqvist-Berg, & Widén-Wulff identified 7 key principles for library 2.0
and they are “interactivity, users, participation, libraries and library
services, web and web 2.0, social aspects, and technology and tools”.
Nishat Kazi recommends that the clients
interest area should be recorded when they join the library, and when they
login to their account on the OPAC, new items which match their interests
should be displayed to them. Kazi also recommends allowing clients to rank and
review items in the OPAC, as well as giving other clients the opportunity to
respond to these reviews. Key words can also be added by clients in addition to
the key words added by the librarian to facilitate searching.
Alex Byrne argues that the use of Web
2.0 strategies in the library context changes the role of librarian into
someone who can assist in supporting clients’ information literacy across the
“largely unknown informational universe” rather than helping them navigate the
library’s own collection.
Andrew Paul McAfee coined Search, Links,
Authorship, Tags, Extensions, Signalling (SLATES) to demonstrate the business
impacting capabilities of web 2.0 technologies between companies and their
partners or customers and same can be applied to library also.
The following approach can be used in
library 2.0 in the non-technology based and technology based services.
a) Change in
Attitude:
A desire and attitude to treat the library user as a customer rather than user
and examine and improve services and willingness to replace them at any time
with better, improved and newer services.
b) Treating
Library User as the King or Queen: The active and empowered library user is
a significant component of library 2.0. The user is participant, co-creator,
builder and consultant – whether the product is virtual or physical.
c) Involving
Library Users in Libraries: Library 2.0 attempts to harness the
library user in the design and implementation of library services, upgrading
the services or development of the contents by encouraging feedback and
participation.
d) Constantly
Updated and Reevaluated Library Services: In the library 2.0 the library
services need to be constantly updated and reevaluated to best serve the
library users.
e) Using the
Updated Technology and Tools: Using updated internet based technology
and tools that can bring dynamic, interactive, participative, collaborative and
contributive atmosphere in the service.
4. Use of Web 2.0 Technologies in the
Libraries: There are a large numbers of web 2.0 tools and technologies
available over the web that can be used freely i.e. without investing money and
become a burden in the budget-cut libraries. Most of such tools and technologies
displayed advertisement to meet their running cost or make a profit and it
should not be considered as a criterion in accepting or rejecting any of the
web 2.0 technologies. Every type of libraries can use these web 2.0 tools and
techniques almost at zero monetary investment to reach to their users and
beyond. Harvesting and integrating ideas and products from web 2.0 technologies
into library service models can bring drastic change in the library
environment.
a) Full Featured
Website: Use
of website is not a new concept in the libraries, however, the library 2.0 call
for a full featured website were the website is a dynamic one and
user-centered. It is interactive, participative, collaborative and contributive
and can have the face of a social networking site. The site is expected to
RSS-enabled with the scope of bookmarking, podcasting and croudfunding to
support the libraries.
b) Use of
General Social Networking Platforms: Library 2.0 call for maintaining
profiles of the libraries in the general social networking platforms. To save
the time if it is needed, the librarian can link some of their library’s
profiles over different social networking platform into a single thread so that
when a library staff will post a message in a single platform of the library,
the profile pages across different platform will automatically be updated.
These activities dramatically will increase the reach of the library beyond
their own users and putt the information into their end.
c) Use of Wikis:
The
libraries can harvest the best of the wiki platform in designing and developing
different types of guides, maintaining different types of list of resources or
just as a platform to collaborate with the users with the scope for other users
to modify it and develop further.
d) A New form of
Web OPAC:
Librarians need to improve the library catalogues in order to make them more
useful for patrons to find, organize, and interact with information in a way
that has infinite potential for user customization. It needs to display the new
items of interest to the user with the scope of reviewing the item or rank it
in by each and every user.
5. Benefits of
Library 2.0: In
simple, time is changing, how people look and find out the information they
need are changing, so as an educational entity dealing with information, it’s
time for the libraries to accept the change. The following are some of the
benefit that can be bring up by the library 2.0 to the libraries.
a) Satisfaction
for Everyone:
The library 2.0 will help the librarians to meet the user need and expectation
and will extend the horizon of libraries. It will bring satisfaction to the
user, librarians and the administrators.
b) Target More
People:
An advantage in library 2.0 is that the library can target more people -
including those who may not have previously used the library service.
c) Bring Two
Directional Flow of Information: Library 2.0 model for service will
ultimately replace traditional, one-directional service offerings that have
characterized libraries for centuries.
d) Provide
Required Service:
Library is a service providing institution and web 2.0 is the technology that
can extend the boundaries of any service providing institution. The library
website is an external face of the library so it is important that it is as
well-presented and well-maintained by including some of the web 2.0
technologies as a shop-front or customer service area would be.
e) Day of
Library 2.0:
Most of the library users are overly hooked in Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp,
Blogger, WordPress, etc. To the extent possible, to make the library user
friendly, the library should also move with time and use the technologies that
are being used in the society.
f) Books are for
Use and Library to be Use Should be Web 2.0 Compatible: Most the
institutes have their website and the library is a part of it. In turn to
produce a good number of web hits and incoming links to the library webpage,
integrating the library website with other gadgets of social networking, blog,
etc is the best idea.
g) Library Need Users
and Users are Over Web 2.0: If you need to market your product you should put
the ads on Newspaper, Road Side Banner, Radio, TV, etc. and if you need to
market your library, you should accept the web 2.0 technologies as because
library users are there and the library staff should catch them where they are.
h) Web 2.0 is
All About Publicizing and Library of Today Need it: If Obama for
America is possible, if Modi for India is possible, then library users at the
library can also be made possible by using web 2.0. One of the best ways to do
it is to create library profiles in some most popular social networks and
frequently updating them with useful content with the scope for the users to
like, comment or leave a feedback.
6. Opponents
Views: The
following are some of the opponents view on library 2.0
a) Key
Principles of Library 2.0 are Embodied in the Five Laws of Library Science: Some librarian
have argued that the key principles of library 2.0 are not new and have been
part of the service philosophies of many library reformers since the 19th
century and even they are embodied in the implications of the five laws of
library science.
b) Library 2.0
cannot Cover All Users: Walt Crawford, for example, argues that library 2.0
comprises a combination of tools and attitudes which are excellent ideas and
not new to librarianship, a few business- and tool-focused attitudes which will
not serve all users and user communities, and incorrectly places libraries as
the appropriate source for all users to gather all information.
7. Conclusion: The technology
market crash of 1990s weeded out the companies who are not otherwise fit to
survive in the 21st Century. In that period only those companies
survived that has incorporated some of the characteristic of web 2.0. Same is the time for the libraries. The
libraries around the world are looked to be less useful in the emergence of the
Internet. Even some libraries are closed down or converted to other places
throughout the World. This is the hard time for the library to survive. The web
2.0 or library 2.0 can be a boon in bringing a positive change in the mindset
of the people. So it is the time to jump to the Library 2.0, after all if it
will not give any positive results, we will also not lose anything except some
of our time.
The libraries of
today cannot ignore the role of web 2.0 technologies. In case of public
libraries, providing library extension services, mobile library services, etc
are considered essential components. However, now-a-days all our users are over
the web especially over the social networking platforms. So, if we need to
attract them or wants to bring them towards the library we need to go and catch
them over their favorite platforms itself. Again, Web 2.0 is not only about
publicizing, it’s about involving the user with the library and there is a
Chinese proverb “Tell me, I’ll Forget, Show me, I’ll Remember, Involve me, I’ll
Understand”. So, Web 2.0 is all about involving the user to make them
understand the role of libraries and what the library can do for their cause.
How to Cite this
Article?
APA Citation, 7th Ed.: Barman, B. (2020). A comprehensive book on Library and Information Science. New
Publications.
Chicago 16th Ed.: Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. Guwahati:
New Publications, 2020.
MLA Citation 8th Ed: Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. New
Publications, 2020.

No comments:
Post a Comment