The information professional and the Web 2.0 world

ACTIVITY

Based on your reading in Modules 1, 2 and 3 so far, and your examination of Abram's and Harvey's definitions of Librarian 2.0 and the views presented in the above YouTube clips, define what you believe to be the essential knowledge, skills and attributes of an information professional in a Web 2.0 world.

Write up your definition as a post (of no more than 350 words) in your OLJ.

 In order for their profession to survive  it is important that Librarians evolve with any changes that take place within the information culture that they live in.

At the moment the culture we live in is based on a new Web 2.0 world in which the information and technology in it  is changing at a fast pace.

Users now decide what they want us to provide and we need to go to where they are and seek feedback on the products and services they want us to provide.

Librarians need the ability to keep up to date with all changes and technology and listen to what our users want. We need to be able to find ways to go to where our users are so that libraries can find a way to positively participate in users world.

Librarians now need to have the ability to experiment and also not wait until a product is perfect before releasing it but rely on user feedback to make the necessary modifications to a product.

Librarians need to enjoy all the new technology the world presents us with to make learning a fun and exciting place. This is especially important as technology has brought with it a lot of competition for the traditional library service.

Librarians should welcome user feedback through the social networking sites that it uses and respond promptly to any feedback even if it is negative. There is always room for improvement and change in the web 2.0 world.

Librarians need to work together to keep pace with the fast changes in technology and encourage all staff to embrace and move forward with the new technology no matter how resistant some staff must be. A unified front is very important and we can help each other learn quicker and give users better service tailored to their needs and wants.