Week 6 thing 15

Wow, Library 2.0 can be kind of a scary thing for all and sundry. I read more than just 2 or 3 of the articles and, while I appreciated all of those read, I kept returning to the "icebergs".
To me, this often seems to be the biggest problem with/for/in the library. I've only been a librarian for 4 years, time spent split between a total of 5 different buildings and 9 different grades, so my perspective may yet be incomplete or inaccurate, who knows?
However, do I EVER resonate with the uggg factor of "just in case" collections. Why do we need science books written in the 80's? Why do we need to keep contemporary literary criticisms for authors who are no longer current/popular/known to our students? Why should we have "classics" that aren't still sitting on our shelves 40 years later (usually at least 20 years after they stopped being even slightly popular)? They just aren't interested in old, outdated and to them useless books. I often have to agree with them.
My district (at least on the elementary level) does tend to be a little bit of an exception since a large number of our students do not have access to computers and/or the internet from home. Even here though, I see them pulling away from print. These kids want to be as cutting edge as they can possibly be. They just need a lot of help doing it.
Which leads to user education. While I do agree that, as much as possible, technology tools need to be easy to use and fairly self explanatory this isn't always good thing. Kids like to just jump on, click here, click there and then think that they are done.
In my reality we need to spend a lot of time teaching the kids how to use the "easy to use" tools in an effective manner. We also need to teach them how to realize when the information they are getting either isn't good or isn't good enough. We can't just be there when they need us..because they usually don't need us until it's too late. We have to be there looking over their shoulders and nudging them in the right direction the whole time.
I do believe that Library 2.0 is the future of the library. I think that one of the other "icebergs" that we face is that we have a lot of other people who need to be brought on board. It's hard enough trying to get teachers to use their email let alone venture out into unknowns like Flickr. Some are very open and use many 2.0 tools themselves but don't see any practical use for bringing them into the schools. Others, in the minority but at least there, are open to trying whatever you throw at them.
Then you run into the next "iceberg" which is the available technology itself. Between wireless that doesn't want to work, computer labs that are overbooked and district filters that block out EVERYTHING, there is a high level of frustration involved in using 2.0 tools in schools. If you are lucky, you have administrators who are willing to listen to your arguments and aid you as much as possible. This doesn't mean you get everything you want, just the way you want it but you usually get something you can work with. If you aren't lucky, it's a pretty dismal future out there for 2.0.