First, I would like to say that the YouTube video really made me think, and that's why I've posted it here. I know that we're all supposed to watch it, and I'd like to emphasize it. In my life, Web 2.0 has been a gradual and organic transformation into something that I take for granted. It definitely has affected my life in some ways that would never have happened without it. Uncomfortable situations with having to "unfriend" someone on Facebook, bringing up censoring issues on a blog, ettiquitte in a way that no one has ever dealt with before. The world is no longer separated by which forks you know and how you dress, per se. It's more of a who you know, where you are connected and what you have to offer.
I was taking a class earlier this fall and was very surprised to hear one of the students (who is working on getting an MLS) say that libraries have no business being on something like Second Life, Facebook or MySpace. After working in public libraries since 2002, I have consistantly heard that libraries need to be in those specific places.
People are usually shocked to find that MCPL has a Facebook or MySpace presence, and I never understood that. As I read these perspectives on Web 2.0, I see it's because typically, libraries haven't been there.
The aforementioned student said, "People know where the library is and if they want your services, they'll come to the building." It seems that many of the people that the library is trying to reach out to feel the same way.
I think that ultimately, if libraries want to be succesful on Web 2.0, the library stereo-type needs to be changed. And that, well, I just don't know how that will happen.
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