Library 2.0

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 21^st 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, 7^th Ed.:  Barman, B. (2020). A comprehensive book on Library and Information Science. New Publications.

Chicago 16^th Ed.:  Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. Guwahati: New Publications, 2020.

MLA Citation 8^th Ed:  Barman, Badan. A Comprehensive Book on Library and Information Science. New Publications, 2020.

Badan Barman at present working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, Assam, India. He is the creator of the LIS Links (http://www.lislinks.com) - India’s most popular social networking website for Library and Information Science professionals. He also created the UGC NET Guide (http://www.netugc.com) and LIS Study (http://www.lisstudy.com) website.