Library 2.0 - What If You Just Want a Book?

I have to confess that this reading was the best thing for insomnia I have found in a long time. I'm not proud of this fact. They are trying to find ways to make the library more exciting and relevant. At least the way they describe it was as boring and intimidating as it could be. Way too much jargon. I even had to go ask what OCLC was. I worry that while the powers that direct the changes in our library are busy trying to turn on a segement of the population they will be turning off and leaving behind another section of the population.

One of the pieces talked about how libraries needed to become teaching places. If by that he meant that it would need to be a place that could teach and model how to use all this new technology, I say amen. Yes, libraries should use technology and teach others how to use it. But don't give up on the library in the classic sense - yet. Keep it a place where people can interact in a real world with real people (story time, author readings, puppet shows, ESL classes). Do add the virtual community through Wikis, blogs, mashups, etc.