Welcome

This course will examine various theories of library service, the social use of information, the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via blogs, wikis, IM and social networking sites. We will discuss the definitions of Library 2.0, examine the tools and examine what this shift means for libraries in the 21st Century.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of Web 2.0 and social software
  • demonstrate an understanding of the principles, concepts and ideas of Library 2.0 and participatory library service
  • apply a 2.0 philosophy to libraries and library service
  • utilize various online 2.0 tools to experience, discuss, and evaluate those tools as they can be related to library services
  • describe the role of social software tools and online communities in the library world
  • understand of the social and cultural backdrop from which Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 thinking emerged.