| Acknowledgements | |
| Michael Stephens | |
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| Abstract |
Social software, more ubiquitous than ever, continues to have a profound impact on information and communication in the Information Age. From the American Library Association to social software news aggregation, it's clear the trend toward utilizing “Web 2.0” technologies for information and communication in the 21st century is growing stronger. In “Web 2.0 & Libraries, Part 2: Trends and Technologies,” librarian and educator Dr. Michael Stephens continues his 2.0 work and re-emphasizes the importance of libraries embracing this world of conversation, community, and collaboration. “In this issue [of Library Technology Reports],” he writes, “we'll revisit some of the social tools presented in ‘Web 2.0 & Libraries: Best Practices for Social Software,’ address some trends guiding social technology in libraries, take a look at some newer tools, and cover some best practices for using 2.0 tools in your library.” With the “Presence in the 2.0 World ” foreward by Jenny “The Shifted Librarian” Levine, this 80-page issue of Library Technology Reports covers a broad range of Web 2.0 topics, tools, and considerations, including:
About the Author Michael Stephens, Ph.D, is an assistant professor at the Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science in River Forest, Illinois. A frequent speaker at library conferences around the world, he was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2005. He has been the keynote speaker at many conferences, including the Iowa Library Association Conference, Ohio Tech Connections, the Rethinking Resource Sharing Conference, the Mississippi Library 2.0 Summit (Mississippi State University), and the Ohio Library Council. He also spoke at Internet Librarian International in London in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and at the August 2006 TICER Innovation Institute at the University of Tilburg, the Netherlands. He serves on the editorial boards of several major journals, including Internet Reference Services Quarterly and Reference & User Services Quarterly. A prolific author, Michael wrote “Web 2.0 & Libraries: Best Practices for Social Software,” the July/August 2006 issue of Library Technology Reports published by ALA TechSource (a unit in the publishing dept. of the ALA), and he writes a monthly column, “The Transparent Library,” in Library Journal with Michael Casey. His blog, Tame the Web, is read avidly by many librarians. Michael holds bachelor's and MLS degrees from Indiana University and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of North Texas. He divides his time among Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. |
This issue of Library Technology Reports is based on issues, trends, and technologies explored at my Tame the Web blog, my work with the students and faculty of Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science, and the Social Tools and Libraries Roadshow, a workshop I've co-presented with Jenny Levine for over two years. Our content, like the Web, changes continually, but the message stays the same: conversation, collaboration, commons, and community. From Holland, England, and Canada and back again—thank you, Jenny!
I also want to thank some folks who offered support and assistance while I was writing this report: Peter Bromberg, John and Louise Berry, Casey Bisson, John Blyberg, Meg Canada, Michael Casey, Kyle Cook, Kathryn Deiss, Jenny Ellis, Jennifer Graham, Sarah Houghton, David Lee King, Teresa Koltzenburg, Lee LaBlanc, Judi Lauber, Glenn Peterson, Karen Schneider, Scott Smith, and all the librarians who participated via e-mail and IM interviews.
I also need to thank Dominican GSLIS students Brian Want, for his help with the bibliographies and reading lists, and Sherry Baehr, for her incredible presentation on LibraryThing in LIS753. All of the students and faculty at Dominican GSLIS never cease to inspire me to think about the bright future of libraries.
Special thanks as well to the librarians who make up the biblioblogosphere and share themselves, their thoughts, and their experiences with all who care to read, as well as to those folks who took time for interviews for this work. I appreciate your voices.
In early June, Mississippi State University Library staged the Mississippi Library 2.0 Summit. Hosted by the librarians of the MSU libraries, the day revolved around explorations of user-centered technologies. I was present to keynote the day with a talk about the Hyperlinked Library. Sessions on Second Life, SMS texting, Facebook, Library 2.0, and blogging rounded out the day, which also included a panel discussion by MSU librarians, who shared details of their Library 2.0 journey, and some informative poster presentations.
What I saw there was a group of librarians in the midst of change—in the midst of recognizing how the world had shifted and exploring what libraries might do to extend their presence into this world. I want to thank all who participated and shared for the enlightenment and exposure to incredible innovation. That day figures greatly into this issue of Library Technology Reports.
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