Web 2.0, Library 2.0

"Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually-updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an "architecture of participation," and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences."--Tim O'Reilly

Wow! I would be foolish to not see the value of participating in Learning 2.0. Besides it being an incredibly fun learning experience, the "fun" I'm having is contributing to and enhancing the applications as I'm using them. Collective user intelligence is built into the design of these applications so when I participate by adding my books to LibraryThing or tagging a website in my del.ico.us account, my input is now available and hopefully, helpful to another user. The social computing aspect of these tools is phenomenal for both play and work.

In the no. 2 2006 issue of Next space: the OCLC newsletter, Michael Stephens writes this about librarians embracing Web 2.0 tools, a trait he believes is important to have:

"This librarian recognizes how services might be enhanced by the Read/Write web and how new services might be born in a climate of collaboration. This librarian uses Instant Messaging to meet users in their space online, builds Weblogs and wikis as resources to further the mission of the library, and mashes up content via API (Application Program Interface) to build useful Web sites. A Google map mash up of local libraries created by Chicago librarians is one such instance of building tools via new resources. Other librarians creating MySpace profiles and participating in other thriving communities build connections online where their users live."