Thing 2

A few weeks ago I stopped to meet someone at Caribou Coffee. The shop had been taken over by college and high school students. As I was waiting, I watched them answer their cell phones, send text messages, look up information to add to their conversations, email, and instant message. They were collaborating, exchanging and accessing information... they were a mini Library 2.0! If all of the people who were connecting with each other had physically been there, the place would have been packed! If a coffee shop can pack in all of these folks we should be putting coffee shops in all of our libraries!

John Blyberg stated that "L2 is about being relevant" and that we need to "let go of old notions of what a library is." I couldn't agree more. As I am becoming more "enlightened" by experiencing the possiblilities that exist for libraries, I feel reassured that libraries can remain relavant and continue to serve their patrons needs if they make that a priority. Serving our patrons is what we do after all.

I watched the Stephan Abram video (on my computer is was like an old western where the lips don't quite match the words) and I began to think about ways that I could manage all of the information I need to be reading and keeping up with. Time is always a factor but keeping up with new developments and trends is a must. I don't think it will be hard to find time if I can locate some helpful information that can be accessed easily on a day to day basis.

Internet has made me more effective and efficient at work and at home. I don't know what I would do without it! I can communicate and share photos with family, find recipes without buying spendy cookbooks, take virtual field trips all over the world, plan vacations, find lesson plans, research topics of interest, etc. I spent last summer recooperating from surgery and did all of my shopping online!