revolution, library style, now

So, reading all the different articles about Library 2.0, with the idea that I would be crafting some sort of response to it here, totally made me feel like I was back in grad school. And because I was always good at being a student, that made me oh so happy. I suspect this means I should consider another degree. Or, more realistically perhaps, try to get into that library management class the next time it comes around.

Reading all that also made my head swim a little. There's so many opinions out there, about what 2.0 means, if it's necessary, if it's really all that different from what libraries have always done, whether it should be embraced or scorned. I suspect that most people fall, like me, somewhere in that shady grey middle. I do feel that, philosophically at least, Library 2.0 isn't really revolutionary. Libraries, and especially public libraries, have always espoused equality and the centrality of the user and have adapted and evolved to fit the needs of their communities. I've never really seen us as gatekeepers or viewed library service as a one-way process. Maybe it's just me though. Or at least related to when I came of age and the life philosophies I bring to the table.

And if Library 2.0 isn't a revolution, per se, I do think that I'm okay with deeming it an evolution of practices. Which means it's more than just a collection of tools that some may be tempted to reduce it to. The question to ask is how do you incorporate the technologies that characterize our time in order to offer the best library services to your users? And to do that, you have to first and foremost know who your users are and then take a look at the questions that naturally follow: what are their needs, which of those needs should the library be filling and how is the best way to go about that and the like.

In doing that, it's entirely possible that you'll realize that they don't need library blogs or rss feeds. This article was a good anecdotal representation of that. Another: when I told a friend of mine that I was participating in this project, she commented something along the lines of "Argh! I'm so tired of hearing about Library 2.0!" I was a little taken aback, but she went on to explain that her system had just unveiled a new website, full of widgets and wonders. Turns out the only ones who noticed were other libraries, who oohed and ahhed and maybe even included their url on a presentation slide. But from the community she works in? Deafening silence.

Which makes me wonder, just how do you measure the success of these things. Is there a rubric? Everyone knows that a bureaucracy loves a statistic, so which ones to use? Hits? Comments? Links? Subscriptions? And what's the magic number? How few makes for "wasting time/money/effort"? And if people keep not coming, do you keep throwing it out there? I don't have any answers. Thoughts and opinions, yes, but answers no. But then, I don't think anyone else really does either. The Annoyed Librarian can pooh-pooh it all they want (and really, what doesn't the Annoyed Librarian pooh-pooh?), but I don't think perpetual beta is a bad thing.

Of course, implicit in that is the idea of change. And there's so many places to go with that one. But if I got into it now, we'd be here all night and nobody wants that.

a long time ago, we used to be friends but I, haven't thought of you lately at all

Confession: I tend to be obsessive about things I'm keen on. I can't recall, but I think maybe I've indicated as much in some of these posts. But if not, it's good to just get it out there. Thus, if I like something, chances are I'm going to want to immerse myself in it completely. At least until some other obsession replaces it. It's probably not the healthiest thing in the world, at least not always, but it is what it is.

And, about a year and a half ago, I came across LibraryThing. And I liked it a lot. So much so that I thought it would be a really good idea to catalog every single book that I own. Or, at least every single book that I own that was sitting in my apartment at the time. There's still a few gigantic boxes sitting in my mom's garage in Ohio which I hope to someday be reunited with, when apartment space allows. Probably I do not really have the space for the 2000+ books crammed into this Queens studio. Certainly if I didn't have so many, furnishing options would be greater and I wouldn't have to worry about the leaning towers of books collapsing and causing dire injury if I shut the closet door to hard.

But, let's get back to LibraryThing, shall we? I shifted piles and I squinted at copyright pages and I made long lists if isbns and when the entire process was said and I shelled out ten bucks so I could catalog more than 200. And when all was said and done, I had a very complete LibraryThing, felt ever-so accomplished, loved looking at my LibraryThing and, well, proceeded to completely forget about it. Not right away. I was good about updating it for a little while.

But then gradually, it just slipped my mind. Maybe if I acquired books at a normal rate - one or two every now and then. But I'm a librarian who is fortunate enough to get the occassional ARC. Especially when I'd go to conferences and events like Book Expo. And, I have a boyfriend who works at an indie bookstore, so he's always bringing things home. Add to that the fact that no one on staff at said bookstore has the slightest interest in children's or YA books, so every now and then the manager just boxes up dozens of advances and sends them to me. Things have a way of spiraling out of control. Which is why, a year or so later, I find myself realizing that I can't remember the last time I logged books onto LibraryThing. And if I want to do some more, I'm going to have to cough up more cash and endure some major headaches as I try to figure out what's already in the library and what isn't. Somehow, I don't think it's going to happen. The moment has passed and until I get that cataloging itch again (which, I admit could totally happen), I'll be content to observe from the outside.

In the meantime, just last week I finally joined Good Reads ...

i love you, except when I don't

So then, technology ... I have to admit I'm a little flummoxed over what to say. And believe me, I've been thinking about it a lot the last few days. In part, the trouble comes from the fact that the topic is so broad. I tend to get overwhelmed when I have too many choices. And what exactly doesn't qualify as technology? It pervades our life and even when we think we aren't going to succumb to it, we frequently find ourselves seduced.

I don't think it's inherently a good or a bad thing. It just is, a fact of life if you will, although it sounds so pedestrian when you state it in those terms. Most of the time, I'm cool with it. Some might even call me enthusiastic. I'm not cool enough, nor do I have enough disposable income, to be an innovator. Early adopter? Sometimes. Most frequently somewhere between that and early majority. I like technology, I like having new toys to play with. But I'm not buying an iPhone until they work out the kinks.

That being said, I do find it very frustrating when things go wrong and I can't figure out how to fix them. Computers are a good example of that. Lately, I've been having slight issues with mine. Not huge ones; if it didn't still function relatively well, I wouldn't be typing this right now. But I'm getting the subtle indications that tell me I've topped the peak and am heading down the mountain. As such, I should probably get used to the idea that I'm going to have to spend a sizable chunk of money replacing it in the not-so-distant future. Or, even more unlikely, be content to not have one at home.

Which, quite frankly, is impossible to imagine. That's the thing about technology too. Once you get accustomed to it, it's hard to conceive of being without it. While there are days when I don't use my computer or talk on my cell phone or turn the tv on. But the option to do those things are always there. And the days when they aren't there? Like, when storms make the cable go out? Or when your phone just suddenly won't turn on at all and even though you've re-upped your contract for another two years and T-Mobile tells you that a cute new Razr is on the way, you still can't make phone calls because the replacement UPS driver can't seem to find your address? Color me crazy, until I'm connected again. And then I'll be happy and carefree until the next snafu.