Both Web 2.0 and the movement of the Baby Boomer generation into retirement represent big changes in our society and most certainly in our libraries but are the two phenomenons more intricately connected to each other? In my paper, I discuss the possibilities that Web 2.0 presents for serving the new senior citizens and whether or not this technology should be the ultimate focus of that service.
Boomers are more active and plan on keeping up with their faster-pace lifestyle both physically and mentally (Dempsey 39, 2007). They will have more leisure time and more money which they will want to spend on travel and other leisure activities.
Also, because boomers want to keep their brains active and are already quite familiar with technology having had to work with computers in their careers, they will want to be able to put their skills to work through new jobs or volunteering. In short, the research shows that Boomers want to work, play, connect, and contribute. My paper states that to meet those demands, we will have to rethink everything from collection development to outreach to basic human interaction and so the answer cannot be as simple as one resource or one technique. Web 2.0, though, can be our right-hand man through it all if we know which ways to apply it.
My paper defines specific Web 2.0 applications such as flickr.com, social networking sites such as eons.com, and user contributed sites such as youtube.com and matches them up with the needs Boomers will have to work, play and contribute.
Did Maricopa really rock the world of libraries? Seriously? I think that changing and evolving according to patron needs should be procedure and I reee-aly don’t see what all of the hub-bub is about.
It is surprising because librarians, I think, are kind of radical by principal. Public libraries are “the people’s universities”, people being the key word here. It was surprising to hear that librarians were upset about the abandonment of Dewey when it has proved itself less than perfect in the past (space devoted to Western European history and Rest-of-the-World history anyone?). As the director said in his NPR interview, sometimes a book might be in two or three places within the Dewey system. It’s still early, but if this new BISAC system is user-friendly and less complicated for users, if circ is up, and patrons are happy, I don’t think we should be complaining, I think we should be gettin’ with times, folks. Bandwagons a’comin’. Hop on.
The only argument I would have is if we began to have the opposite problem and the reference and history books were all lumped together instead of the popular fiction. I must admit that seeing self-help books in the “Psychology” section at Barnes and Nobles had me shaking my head. But if that is where the majority of the community thinks to look, maybe that is where it should stay. I think this is a good system at getting the patrons in and “giving them what they want”. Perhaps after they are in the doors, we can lead them to other items they may need as well.
