#15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

Away from the “icebergs”
By Rick Anderson
Director of Resource Acquisition
University of Nevada, Reno Libraries

I particularly liked this article – it was written in an “easy to read style” – it didn’t use any complicated jargon – which is always a nice relief.

The article discussed how “difficult, expensive and slow” it is to deal with information when it is in Hardcopy Format. It really no longer makes good business sense to continue with a hard Copy Collection – Electronic Format is the best way to go. As a Web 2.0 development continues patrons expect materials to be accessible in Digital Formats.

Libraries/Librarians should now concentrate on eliminating the “barriers” that exist in accessing the digital information – assist with seaching interfaces and ensuring that the interfaces are easy to use. Patrons will therefore be able to concentrate more on reading the information rather than losing precious time trying to work how an interface works.
It must be recognised that “In the post-print era, libraries no longer have the monopoly power they had in the days before the Internet”. Information has become much more accessible to many since the Digitial Age has taken off.