Web 2.0 and Libraries: Impacts, Technologies and Trends

Abstract

Say “Web 2.0” and different images come to mind. Web 2.0 and Libraries is a collection of essays written by individuals whom the editors describe as experts in their fields. Two of the authors are identified specifically as librarians. The authors' specialties range from information science to learning technologies. Web 2.0 and Libraries is intended to provide a description of the current environment of Web 2.0. This includes the technologies—such as really simple syndication (RSS), blogs, wikis, open source software, video applications, and others—that are commonly associated with this term. The book describes how some of these technologies are used in library environments. The book is organized into four distinct parts: place, people, technology, and conclusion. Except for the conclusion, the parts each consist of two chapters. Each section contains its own references, and the book provides a table of contents and an index. The authors and editors for Web 2.0 and Libraries reside in Great Britain, and the material in the book is based on their experiences in the British higher education environment. Although technology is technology, there seem to be enough differences in American and British higher education that American readers might have to stretch to apply the material. The content of the first three chapters is broad enough that it is easy to make the connection to American higher education. The middle chapters of the book (3, 4, and 5) discuss case studies about archiving pebble blogs, UK Web Focus blog, and risk assessment with a risks-and-opportunities framework that is provided to help readers analyze this aspect of initiating Web 2.0 technologies in their environments. The material in this book is less of a how-to than a discussion. Examples of uses are presented rather than opportunities to incorporate uses of Web 2.0 technologies. The book was published in 2010, which most likely means that the material was written in 2008 or 2009. Because of the publishing lag, much of the material has already become dated. The book mentions e-readers and the fact that developers are working on color displays and states that 4G mobile phone networks had not yet been defined. These technologies are now available on the market. In the technology section, Ley states, “the question has been whether these approaches can be used in education to improve the learning experience and, if so, what the barriers and issues are in their implementation.” At present, Web 2.0 is securely integrated in some form in most classrooms, and the barriers and issues in their implementation have been clearly recognized. The book seems to be targeted more to the academic library audience rather than the medical library. Librarians in an academic medical library setting may benefit from the material more than those in strictly medical settings, such as hospital libraries.