Views from Eye Level and the London Eye

Today our emphasis was on architecture and unusual shots of buildings from various angles. We visited Westminster Abbey and spent quite a while taking pictures of the exterior. Then we had a tour of the inside of the building, which is even more ornate than the outside. There are quite a few famous people buried here, including Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling, Queen Elizabeth I, Edward the Confessor, and many more. Our ground level shots took up much of the morning and early afternoon. Then we headed over to the London Eye for a bird's eye view of the city. Riding on the Eye is like being inside a giant bubble floating high above the town. Next we headed across town to see Wicked, the story of Oz before Dorothy arrives. The singing and costumes were wonderful. There were so many people in the theater! We had a great time.

Views from Eye Level and the London Eye

Thank you!

That sounds like excellent advice.

Once again, thank you for taking the time out of your pre-graduation hectic schedule to help me with my Web 2.0 paper.

Have a great summer!

To Sum It Up

Destiny sounds like a pretty neat program. Another feature I like about Amazon is the way once you order a book, they recommend other books for you based on your choices. Sometimes it almost seems like they're reading your mind!

We've come to the end of my list, so my final question is going to be the same one my detectives ask a witness when they're taking a statement: Is there anything you can think of you would like to add that may be important that I haven't thought to ask you?

I have enjoyed blogging with you very much. Thank you for all your insights.

Public Library 2.0

I like the way you think. I was just thinking about how many individual e-mail accounts, Facebook, etc., that I have to try to remember to check every day (in addition to the class Blackboard site). It would be so much easier to have everything at one's fingertips in one place. And I'm glad every time I hear someone say we are in no danger of losing our books.

In my classification class we examined social tagging and reader generated reviews such as those available at Amazon.com. Do you foresee this type of Library 2.0 approach ever becoming part of the OPAC for either the school or public library? Is this an inevitable trend?

The Future of Web 2.0

Plymouth uses quite an impressive variety of Web 2.0 tools already, but once you get Moodle up and running, are there any other technologies you would like to add to your library's repertoire?

And what do you envision may happen in the future? What do you think Web 3.0 might be like? Do you foresee a time when Internet communication will come to replace a physical library building and books?

Class Blogs and Library Thing

I liked your answer to the last question. Since most of your students probably have a MySpace or Facebook account outside of school, it is important to recognize that and teach them how to be safe with them.

In your article "Library 2.0 in Plymouth, New Hampshire," you mention how some of the teachers use class blogs where students are actually required to respond to questions. You also mention using "LibraryThing" for cataloging your 'zine collection. How are those programs working out?



Harland, P. (2009). Library 2.0 in Plymouth, New Hampshire: How one library uses web 2.0 tools to enhance services to students and staff. Library Media Connection, 27 (5), 57-58.

Drawbacks to Library 2.0?

I think you hit the nail on the head when you talk about library services being about "USER DRIVEN NEEDS." Certainly at FSU what we're learning is that we have to reach out to the customers and meet their needs where they are; it's not just about waiting for them to walk into the library and hoping they like what we already have.

There are certainly many positive results to using Web 2.0 technology in the library. Have you ever run across any drawbacks? You mention that your school blocks Facebook and MySpace. Do you feel this is a necessary protection against sexual predators, cyberstalkers, cyberbullies, etc.?

Instruction on Web 2.0

I think it's great that your students take your trust in them seriously and really take the time to research and add the best information to your site. It sounds like a win-win situation to me. I noticed on the library summer reading blog one of the students asked what you, Mrs. Harland, would be reading this summer, so I can see they trust your opinions and input; and in looking over the class research links, I found several that could help me with my own upcoming classes on media design and digital photography! So it's obvious that your library webpage is a great resource for students.

Did you run into any hesitation or opposition to Web 2.0 on the part of your administration or faculty when you first introduced the idea? Were there "old school" members who resisted having to learn new technology? What sort of instruction do you offer in how to use Web 2.0, for both students and faculty?

Reactions of Students and Faculty

One of the great things about Web 2.0 is that there is interaction between students and school staff. It isn't just a one-sided conversation anymore. While researching, I came across the following statement by Joyce Valenza of the Springfield Township High School Library, and it really touched my heart: "Through our blogging circles, we've discovered student voices that were too quiet to hear in traditional classroom groups."* Now even the really shy kids can contribute to the conversation.

What are the positive results you can see from your students using Web 2.0? Has it impacted student-teacher and student-librarian relationships? How do you think today's students differ from those of a generation ago?


* Valenza, J. (2008). A few new things. Library Media Connection, April/May, 10-13.

Web 2.0 Technologies

I see that you have your Master's in Information Systems. Did your curriculum emphasize computer systems more heavily than basic Library Science? And did that give you a head start in implementing Library 2.0? In addition to wiki's, what are some of the other Web 2.0 technologies you use at your library?

An Interview with Pam Harland

I am a Library and Information Science student through Florida State University's online LIS Master's Program and was fortunate enough to be selected for the International Studies Summer Abroad Program in Multimedia Design. I will be learning about digital photography, podcasts, digital stories, and photo books while in London and Paris. One of my initial assignments before we leave the United States will be to write a paper on Web 2.0 and how it applies to libraries, including an interview with a librarian who actually "walks the walk." Pam Harland, the Library Media Specialist at Plymouth, New Hampshire, Regional High School has graciously consented to allow me to interview her on this fascinating subject, and we will be using a basic Web 2.0 format, the blog, to conduct the interview. Thank you, Ms. Harland, for agreeing to talk with me.

Let's start with the basics. Can you tell me a little about yourself and your school? And how would you define Web 2.0 in layman's terms?