It's interesting to read that Rick Anderson's UN-Reno library's circ has dropped 50% -- but that's a bit different I think than what public libraries are experiencing. Loudoun's circ isn't dropping, and though population growth plays in, and the very high quality of work that comes from Loudoun's Collection Development efforts in selecting new material for purchase plays in. But there's a more fundamental factor in play too. People still want media (books, dvds, audio) in fixed physical format. Not everyone likes reading on a computer screen, and downloadable audio (and video) take work and time. People like the new things, but they like comfort too. When people stop wanting books, dvd's, and cd's, we'll know -- the manufacturers will stop making money, and stop making them.
The best thing about Library 2.0 is how engaged library people get when it comes up. VLA Region V Committee held it's Spring Program today, Library 2.0: Delivering the Promise. Like Learning 2.0 itself, the focus was primarily on the getting to know the technologies. But what I walked away from was a sense that many of these technologies -- and the responses that libraries undertake -- are no less than (and no more than) new means of continuing a conversation.
So let the conversation continue...
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So you're saying so far it's all talk and no action? I'm not disagreeing - I mean, conversation is fine but it's even better if it leads to something more.
not really. I think in my various revisions of the main post, I missed including the point I was trying to make. Which is that, in some ways the conversation that these tools facilitate is the conversation of human culture.
Now that doesn't really engage what libraries are doing about the tools, but one step at a time, I guess.
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