Bolan, K., M. Canada, and R. Cullin.  (2007).   Web, library, and teen services 2.0.  Young adult library services.  Vol. 5, Iss. 2:  40-43

An Annotation by Jeffery Ayer

Web 2.0 isn’t just for classrooms; libraries across the nation are getting on board as well, and it’s time to let students have some technological freedoms, say Bolan, Canada, and Cullin.  And although this article’s heart truly lies with using new technologies for libraries, it also outlines Web 2.0’s history and nicely organized eleven examples of Web 2.0 technologies in a handy sidebar.

In the historical section, Bolan, Canada, and Cullin call Web 2.0 “the next generation of the internet.  It is not so much defined by speed or infrastructure, but how content is created, distributed, and disseminated, and how people interact with that content and each other through a whole new generation of web platforms and tools” (40).  Stephen Abram, author of “Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian 2.0:  Preparing for the 2.0 World,” says Web 2.0 is about “conversations, interpersonal networking, personalization, and individualism” (40).

Of course, the authors of this article elaborate on ways in which these technologies can be incorporated into the library system to serve teens, but they also give brief descriptions for Real Simple Syndication (RSS); Commentary and user-driven rating functionality; wikis, social networking sites like MySpace; photo sharing sites; audio and video; personalized alerts; interactive web services; personalization and “my profile” features; and folksonomies, tagging, and tag clouds.

Most prolific is the author’s assertion that “[g]aming is one of the newer services that libraries are implementing that embraces library 2.0 beliefs.  Contrary to what some may think, gaming is recognized as a literacy activity” (42).  This article makes clear that the technological advancements occurring in some classrooms is also are also happening in public and school libraries as well.

Related posts:

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  2. The Library of Congress is Using Flickr: Shouldn’t Teachers?
  3. The grades that vanished, and some other threats to students’ data. Gnatek, T.
  4. Inside the teen brain.
  5. Key words in instruction: literature circles.

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