Methods 1 & 2

I am posting this as part of a Web 2.0 training for librarians. So if you are not a librarian and it doesn't really make sense to you, don't fret. Just wait for my next post.

The video "The Machine is Us" by M. Wesch was fascinating, informative, and quite a lot to reflect on. The method of presenting the info reminded me of the movie "The Matrix" and I was really caught up. Honestly, I'd never thought about the fact that digital text is different from HTML until it was presented. Or that we are the web. But the fact that computers are linking us and that we (especially librarians) need to rethink ourselves, does not escape me. I enjoyed this video, and I am going to share it with the staff at my school.

The article "School Library 2.0: The Consumer as Producer" by Beth Evans was further proof that libraries today must redefine themselves in order to remain viable. Many are saying that print sources (books, newspapers, etc.) are becoming obsolete therefore so are libraries. But as Beth Evans shows, this is just a time when librarians must find new ways to use web tools to our advantage and for the interest of our patrons. I love the social networking idea of encouraging patron conversation about library content. Amazon does this quite successfully so why shouldn't I do the same in my school library. I feel that once students know they can comment on the library collection, write a book review, or even create their own virtual bookshelf, the library will not become obsolete---it will thrive!