Kristy Tye (Dot Com)

Library 2.0 is a new term for me. At first I mistook it to be inclusive of everything behind the concept of “Web 2.0″, but it’s obvious that it’s a different concept altogether.

Web 2.0 is the term for our current incarnation of the Web. There are theories to what Web 3.0 will be, and whether or not we’re currently at the cusp (which I believe we are, not that there’s a specific time line for the transition to occur), but I don’t think it necessarily matters in regard to libraries.

The fact that at this point, we’re debating whether or not to transition into Library 2.0 when the Web is nearing it’s third evolutionary stage, is to me, very telling of where libraries are in regards to how they relate to the “Millennials”. As a member of “Generation Y”, the Web 2.0 YouTube video really personified a lot of the feelings and hopes I have for the Internet in general. There is so much promise in what we, as a people and as librarians, can do on such a worldwide scale, but first there has to be an understanding and acceptance of what the budding technologies encompass.

As Stephen Abram said in this video: “Librarians can invent it as long as we understand the technologies,” and I completely agree. But, in a way, I fear that there’s a lot of resistance within the library sciences, a with-us-or-against-us mentallity that’s cropped up ever since Google has tread on our territory. Instead, we need to find a way to utilize what technologies Google and everyone else offer and to make it applicable, interesting, and useful to our patrons and our future taxpayers.

I’ve been sitting on this website for a while now trying to figure out a way to utilize it that would be both professional and true to my personality. There’s little I’m more passionate about within the library world than encouraging participation in the many many wonderful web applications that have yet to be fully utilized by librarians. I love the idea behind the North Texas 23, and though I may already be familiar with the Things, I’m vain enough to think that my participation would be welcomed, and intrigued enough that I want to keep up with the progress of my fellow participants.

A little about me: I’m 24 with a BA in Psychology also from UNT. I’m currently completing my second year in the MLIS program, and I’ve never officially worked in a library, though I routinely do work in the library. I’m currently a waitress, having in the past year bounced around due in no small part to the struggling economy, but have so far quite enjoyed the food. I live in North Texas with three cats, one dog, my boyfriend and a few bookshelves full of my favorite novels.