Week 6, Thing 15, School Library 2.0

I read "School Library 2.0" by Christopher Harris from School Library Journal, May 1, 2006. This article tells how libraries have changed and adapted in the past, but also why they need to continue to change and how those changes look in some libraries.
Libraries have always adapted to the technology that was available not because what the library was doing was wrong, but because there was a better way to do it. School libraries were instrumental in getting computers and internet access into classrooms because it was good for education.
Because of all the focus on standardized testing, school libraries are being marginalized. With limited funding, many states are looking at the "65% solution", in which 65% of school funds must be put into classrooms to support student learning. It sounds good until you realize that in many states libraries are not a part of that teaching staff that supports student learning. Libraries are not just a physical space, but are also on the web.
Library 2.0 looks different in different libraries. Some libraries are having book talks and discussions online through blogs and podcasts with other students in other parts of the country. Book discussions can happen online with the author regardless of where the author is. Students can share resources through social bookmarking. Students, staff, and parents can have virtual collections of favorite books. Staff can have a blog about standardized testing complete with RSS and email. All of these services create community that can be anyplace, not just one physical space.
Library 2.0 doesn't mean changing everything. But instead finding what would make things work better. That means not necessarily being on the bleeding edge, but possibly being on the cutting edge to allow students to be effective users of ideas and information.