What Is This Library 2.0 Stuff???

Michael Stephens, professor of Library & Information Science at Dominican University in Illinois, was in the Capital Region today to host a workshop on Library 2.0. Stephens is the author of several articles on Web 2.0 including “The Promise of Web 2.0″ published in American Libraries in October of 2006.

Michael is an excellent presenter and, even though the room was full, I had a few chances to speak with him about Web 2.0 and schools.

Of course, I signed up for this workshop so I could get ideas and direction for the SLS Library 2.0 Tech Camp coming up this summer!

Some excellent handouts were shared but, as is often the case, the bibliography he provided is really valuable!

What is this Library 2.0 stuff and what does it have to do with schools? Get yourself to Rensslaerville this summer and find out! The School Library System is hosting a two day retreat at the Rensslaerville Institute. Polly Farrington, our trainer, will lead us in some hands-on Web 2.0 tools. Get your hands dirty. Walk away with a blog, an RSS aggregator and a flickr account!

Unless you plan to retire in the next 12 month – YOU need to hear about the emerging technologies and the philosophical underpinnings involved. If you think kids today are the same as they’ve always been – you are wrong! And there is data to prove it! Kids today are literally wired differently.

There are important implications for education, industry and the social structure we are all accustomed to. And there are things librarians need to learn to do to be where we need to be!

As Joyce Valenza says about emerging technologies, “You’d better start swimming, or you’ll sink like a stone.”

Actually Bob Dylan said it first – but you knew that!