INLS 490-121: Collaborative Writing Exercise/Library Websites
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Library Websites
Since Library 2.0 is a derivative term from Web 2.0, it is only natural that we consider the role of the library website in Library 2.0.
Online Catalog
Library 2.0 questions the purpose and contents of the online library catalog. If the catalog contains the collection, what is the collection? When libraries contained mostly books, this was an easy answer. Modern libraries include plenty of online resources, journals, databases, and more. What do you include in the catalog?
How does the user see the catalog? Though we may see the catalog as the collection and have ideas of what that means as librarians and information professionals, does the user simply see the catalog as a way to serarch the library? In this case, should anything be left out of the catalog? Should activities of the library be included in the catalog? For example, if you search for "Harry Potter," should the results include the upcoming book club meeting discussing Harry Potter?
Is the catalog just what is inside the library or all its resources? Should searches include online journal articles and links to databases relavent to this subject? What about websites?
The online catalog now has a different scope that we must investigate. A catalog containing only the hardcopy books the library has is too small and not representative of the library as a whole. However, if we go too far in the other direction and include all of the library's resources, we now have Google. the answer lies somewhere in the balance between the two.
Online Community
Libraries as a rule have been active in the community around them. The library, as an organization, should be dedicated to the betterment of its community, otherwise why does it operate? this brings about two questions:
Should the library website serve as a community site?
If the library is to better its community, what online resources should it provide? Should it offer its own wiki space to users, or point them to other, more general wiki services outside of the library. Is the library the provider or the pointer?
Should library websites be a sort of community portal, offering interaction and and communication for the local community?
Who is the library's community?
A library can easily enough define its physical patronage as anyone who can reach the library. It could further delineate between residents and on-residents of its county. What patron distinctions do you make online? The library's website can now affect more than just the physically local community. Is the library beholden to support these patrons? Can you distinguish between residents and non-residents online? Is there now a further breakdown where online-only patrons can only recieve certain services? Say you have an online chat reference: can anyone in the world log in to ask you a question now? Or do you limit it to the local community through IP filtering or user logins?
Library Website and Data
INLS 490-121: Collaborative Writing Exercise/Library 2.0 and Data
Resources
Bell (2009, February 17). The library website of the future.
Spurious Tuples (2009, February 18). The library website of the future: Thanks but no thanks.
Foster & Gibbons (2007). Chapter 5: Dream Catcher: Capturing Student-Inspired Ideas for the Libraries’ Web site.
Matthews (2009, February 15). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site.

