Comments on Library 2.0 Article

Well, this was a bit of a difficult read…but worth the effort. Koltay makes some valid points about the importance of “knowing your audience”. Publishing in the written format is/was not as easy or as fast as producing thoughts and ideas through electronic means. Now everyone is an authority, but where is the authority. With so much information readily available we must be aware of what type of information we seek and the reliability of the information we receive. 

I really liked the point made by Lessig (2007) “I think it is a great thing when amateurs create, even if the thing they create is not as great as what the professional creates. I want my kids to write. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop reading Hemingway and read only what they write.” It is all important. However, as distributors of information and facilitators information sharing, libraries must understand what their users are seeking and provide the appropriate sources. 

Also, as Koltay points out in this paper, “the general mission of library services (is) to facilitate convenient access to documents and support the mission of the institution or the interests of the population served.” (Buckland, 1992) It is important that libraries understand the ”information seeking preferences” of their users so that the users needs can be met. At the same time, users have a “responsibility for the acquisition and use of knowledge…the readers themselves have to become the gatekeepers (and) enhance their evaluation skills.”