Full steam ahead to the future

Wow...the Web 2.0 phenomenon video is certainly thought provoking and something that you need to watch several times due to the impact. It is very clever and very true. Everything is changing. This is especially true with the web and all is contains.

It is also true for libraries. The way in which we do our jobs today is different in many ways from 10 years ago, different again from 15 years ago and so on. With the way technology is growing, changing and expanding, particularly on the world wide web, our industry has no choice but to go with it and adapt our roles within the community accordingly.

Two statements that stood out amongst the articles I read were: "In Web 2.0, the Web becomes the center of a new digital lifestyle that changes our culture and touches every aspect of our lives. The Web moves from simply being sites and search engines to a shared network space that drives work, research, education, entertainment and social activities—essentially everything people do". This was taken from Where will the next generation Web take libraries? By Tom Storey....and "In my library, we’ve seen a 55 percent drop in circulation rates over the past twelve years, making it harder and harder to justify the continued buildup of a large “just in case” print collection. As a Web 2.0 reality continues to emerge and develop, our patrons will expect access to everything – digital collections of journals, books, blogs, pod-casts, etc. You think they can’t have everything? Think again. This may be our great opportunity", taken from "Away from the 'Icebergs'" by Rick Anderson.

As mentioned, we are already seeing the impact within our libraries of the vast amount of information available on the world wide web and our customers requirements are increasingly more focused towards needing assistance with accessing databases and web-sites than with finding printed information. It has already transformed our lives in relatively short time it has been available...and we can only imagine how it will rapidly continue to do so...

Technology Train

Well...I've come to a conclusion...and me being me...I'll share what that is!! The technology train is moving way too fast. There's just so much to do, see, look at, discover and try out on the internet that we could never do it all...even if we were given and infinite amount of time. It is just impossible which is a very overwhelming and surreal thought. It's the same as knowing in 'library land' just how impossible it is to live long enough to read every book we would like to!

When I think of my mere 40 years of life on this earth and the incredible things we have in our lives that I have seen introduced:- colour tv, microwaves, walkmans, portable telephones, cd's, dvd's, ipods, mobile phones, digital cameras, personal computers, lap-tops, Playstation, X-Box, Wii, MP3 players, flash drives etc etc...and yes...lo and behold...the internet and world wide web! We really are living in a very privileged society with an incredible amount of entertainment and exciting technology all around us for the taking.

One always is inclined to think that the latest 'thing' will be difficult, expensive, hard to use etc...and then months later...we are all using it regularly and in fact, can hardly remember a life without it.

As overwhelming as it is...we must embrace it all and look at it as positive enhancement and opportunity for all.

I look around my own home and take for granted the multiple tv's, stereo, mobile phones, microwave, Playstation, internet access, home alarm, digital cameras etc and I then think of my two nieces and nephew who, at ages 1, 4 and 6 know no different...

It is with both trepidation and excitement that I try to imagine just what the future holds...