Library Alchemy

This page is designed a short reference guide to the readings and resources I’ve found most helpful thus far in my grand Library 2.0 experiment.  By no means comprehensive, it is, regardless, a good way to sample the wealth of 2.0 writings and resources out there. 

What is Library 2.0?  Selected Readings

Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian 2.0: Preparing for the 2.0 World, Stephen Abram. Clear, concise definitions, plus a list of skills and competencies needed by the 2.0 librarian.

Web 2.0: Building the New Library, Paul Miller. Even more concise, with one paragraph devoted to each characteristic of Web 2.0, and a cogent argument for why libraries should be there. The references are worth exploring, too.

A Library 2.0 Skeptic’s Reading List, Steve Lawson. Not convinced just yet? Check out this fair and balanced approach to the 2.0 phenomenon.

Library 2.0, Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk. Eponymous article that argues, “The heart of Library 2.0 is user-centered change.” Contains list of blogs to peruse and resources with which to tinker.

 For a longer, comprehensive list, check out the Squidoo Library 2.0 Reading List.

How Do I Start?: Resources for Learning

Like your lists pre-made? Check out 43 Things I (Or You) Might Want to Do This Year.

Know what you want to try, and just need to get organized? Create your own 43 Things account and use it to track your progress.

Pressed for time? Consider the 15 Minutes A Day approach.

Want company? Check out the original Learning 2.0 group project, created by Helene Blowers for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Contains links to other libraries that have created similar group learning programs.

How Do I Stay Informed?:  Blogs to Browse

David Lee King is one of the strongest advocates for implementing Library 2.0 initiatives, and has many good resources and suggestions. Because he is writing from a management perspective, front-line staff may find points with which to quibble. However, one of the best blogs to read regularly.

Learning 2.1, the companion blog to the PLCMC program listed above.

Are you the “tech librarian by default” in your department/branch? Check out Sarah Houghton-Jan, the Librarian In Black, for hands-on practical tips, resources, and humor. See also Jenny Levine, The Shifted Librarian, another notable luminary.

Want to skim the 2.0 news buffet? Visit LibWorm and subscribe to the Library 2.0 feed. Aggregates resources of professional interest on many different topics, including readers’ advisory.

Trying to keep up with online developments and social technologies? Try TechCrunch.

The What I Learned Today blog is practical, informal, and fun!  And if you get overwhelmed, take a time-out break with Slow Library, a moderate voice in a fast-paced world.

Update:  4/29/08

While catching up on my newsreader, I discovered Brian Gray’s recent Squidoo guide, Using Web 2.0 Principles to Become Librarian 2.0. It’s been a while since I’ve had the luxury of updating this page, and it’s great to start that effort with a quality source that will catch you up on a variety of things that have been printed since this guide was first created.

 ”Knowing how way leads on to way,” as Robert Frost put it in “The Road Not Taken,” it’s possible that this list could lead you to resources, readings and insights I haven’t yet stumbled across.  Remember:  Library 2.0 at CLP is what we as an organization decide it will be, and the only way we can do that is if we’re a) eager to learn, and b) well-informed.  Happy reading, and here’s to great, collborative things in our collective future!