Thing 2, and then some . . .

Blyberg’s comments—written in a 2.0 sort of way—reveal to some extent the fluid nature of the definition of a 2.0 library or librarian. If I could offer a small qualification, it would be this: Chasing technology, the latest tools, trends, gimmicks, and all the rest can be an all-consuming endeavor. And what of books? Should there be a library 2.0 for books? And what of balance? Do we dump technology on people and say, “It’s all there. Go for it.” I don’t have answers but concerns. Can we be so clever as to create a situation in which technology, itself chronically obsolete, becomes our source of obsolescence? I hope we don’t become so clever that we cleverly create our own unemployment, although it's also worth noting, as Dr. Wendy Schultz points out in "To a temporary place in time," that Web 2.0 is just the beginning (or we're at the bottom of the S-curve, and change is just poised to skyrocket). On the other hand, Rick Anderson's article "Away from the 'icebergs'" points out the hazards of maintaining libraries as they have traditionally been, simply because of tradition--and perhaps out of fear of not managing change.


How has the Internet and the vast resource it can be affected your use of time at work and/or at home?

This question brings to mind the notion that more is often less, that “vast” resources may actually be a vast waste of time, and the search for them and through them can be frustrating, inefficient, and fruitless. Students, who really need to improve their information literacy skills, are often reluctant to research flexibly or broadly; they often see Google or Wikipedia as their “one stop” shopping for information. Very little time or thought goes into their research, driven, I’m afraid, by a let’s-just-get-something-and-slap-it-on-a-PowerPoint-slide mentality. I’m not certain whether this is a problem driven by technology or by consumerism and entitlement. All I believe—not necessarily know—is this: Never has there been more information more easily accessible, and never before has there been so little interest in seeking, finding, and benefiting from it. Just one guy’s view. . .