Thing #15

Library 2.0??? Well, I have definetly seen a change in the role of the library in the past few years. Because the needs of our students change year after year, our role as teachers change also, and what is expected of us. As teachers we are constantly learning new ways to help children be successful, life long learners. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the role of a librarian, and library are changing also. In this age of computers and information at our fingertips, it is important that our libraries and librarians have knowledge on helping its users access this. I liked the perspective..To a Temporary Place In Time...It mentions that our libraries are just not books and card catalogs like we once knew them, but they are centers, or communities in which we go to learn and find information that we need. I like that the author says that libraries are participatory--they provide global access to books, catalogs, etc. I also like that she said, Library 1.0-the libraries we grew up with, then Library 2.0, then 3.0, then 4.0, they do not each replace the other, but are absorbed into each other. As information becomes more accessible we will need those who are able to guide us to the info we are seeking. Library 2.0 means that our libraries are going to be not only equipped with books but computers that allow us to search the web for research, photos, etc. The librarian will be the one to help the students find different programs and sites to create their research and their projects. She will be the "tour guide" so to speak. She should be aware of the different programs that can be used to learn information and to organize it. I think it is very exciting. I liked the YOUtube video on the vision of our students today. It was so real and so very interesting. As much as adults do not want to admit it, our children do spend many hours on the web, whether it is myspace, facebook, flickr, youtube, etc. WE spend hours on the web searching for things, and finding info. ( I can not tell you the last time I looked up a phone number or address in the phone book.) In the age of cellphones, PDA's, laptops, etc....we have information right there with us all the time, we can make connections, we can organize, we can research, at any time. School libraries are not going to be the place where you go to check out books anymore...they are media centers, equipped with computers that are linked to the internet. They are places where students will go not only to study but also to research information they need and will be able to have a librarian there to "guide" them to the correct places to find their information or the different ways to organize and present their information. To me it seems very exciting!