Here is a slidecast from my presentation to the Library 2.0 Unconference held at the State Library of Queensland on Thursday 10th October. The audio is from my practice runthrough. It is at – What is Library 2.0 ?

Here are the points I made:

1. I don’t want to use the term “Library 2.0”, so instead I’m going to talk about the features of Web 2.0, the power it gives librarians, the power it gives users and some questions to ask when faced with a new web tool.

2. Features of Web 2.0

• 24/7
• Read/write web
• Social
• Hive mind
• Mashups
• Perpetual beta
• Web as a platform

3. Web 2.0 changes the balance of power in our libraries

4. Librarians have the power to:

• Get out of our buildings
• Be in our users’ space
• Use our buildings in different ways
• Speak in our own voices
• Risk
• Collaborate
• Control technolust
• Match the tools to the users
• Keep the baby (even if we throw out the bathwater)

5. Users have the power to:

• Create the library
• Bypass us
• Laugh at us if we get defensive

6. Some questions to ask about new web tools:

• How will this help my users?
• Does it help my users to:
  • Collaborate?
  • Hear us speak with a human voice?
  • Create the library?
  • Get our resources more easily than other ones online?
• What risk is associated with this and am I ready for it?
• Could I implement this in beta without it being perfect?
• Does this change the power balance between librarians and our users?
• Does it help me to go where the users are?
• What is the cost?
  • Time
  • Money
  • Skills
  • Lost opportunity
• What is the consequence if I try this?
• What is the consequence if I don’t try this?