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?